A Brother's Return
by King Cairo
Summary: AU: Naruto and his brother were forced apart at an young age. Now, fate is bringing them together to turn the world upside down. Crosses over Naruto, Bayonetta, and some Teen Titans. Please review. Rated M for safety.
1. Prologue: Let It Begin

A Brother's Return

Prologue

Speaking: normal.

Thoughts and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, Madara would burn at the stake.

It was just another day in Konoha when we find one Naruto Uzumaki running for his life. The villagers that were chasing him had gotten themselves drunk and decided that they would enjoy themselves by tormenting Naruto. As he ran around the corner, he realized that he hit a dead end.

The mob soon found him and closed off his only exit. The leader of the mob glared at Naruto and said, "There's nowhere for you to run now, you demon spawn."

Before he could even react, the man stabbed him in the shoulder with a knife. The moment the knife cut him, however, he found himself in what looked to be a sewer…

Mindscape…

As he looked around, he heard a voice saying, "**Come to me, young one. Come and awaken your true self.**"

Naruto looked around the area and found no one there. "_Okay,_" he thought, "_there's a voice in my head that wants me to follow it. I feel like I'm in some crazy fan fiction or something._"

Naruto decided that things couldn't get any worse than they were, and followed the voice down a long corridor. When the hallway ended, he found a door with six locks on it.

The mysterious voice said, "**Inside this room lays a power and a life that was taken away from you. Open the door if you wish to reclaim what is yours by right.**"

Naruto then thought, "_My life has been nothing but a nightmare. If whatever is behind this door can help me, I'll gladly accept._"

With a renewed resolve, Naruto undid the locks to the room and entered. Upon entry to the room, the first thing he noticed was a bed. When he walked over to the bed, he saw that someone was asleep.

After closer observation, he noticed that the person in the bed was none other than himself. He then thought to no one, "_Am I going crazy, or is this a__**kage bunshin**__?_"

The voice came back and said to him, "**This is no**_**kage bunshin**_**, and you are not crazy. This is the part of you that has been locked away for seven years. All that needs doing is for you to wake him up.**"

Naruto looked at the figure again and noticed that his hair reached to the bottom of his shoulder blades, he was at least 5'7, and his whisker marks were slightly darker. Naruto then sighed to himself and said, "I've got nothing else to lose, so I might as well wake him up. Hell, he might even be a decent conversationalist."

As he placed his hand on the sleeping Naruto, his eyes suddenly widened. The Naruto on the bed had vanished while he has being bombarded with memories of his younger years.

When the memories stopped, he realized that he remembered everything. He remembered all of the jutsu that he had learned, being taught how to fight by people with white eyes, learning how to hunt and fish from people who used dogs as their partners in battle, being protected from mobs by people in animal masks, and being dragged away by a man with one arm and bandages on his face.

The one memory that stood out the most, however, was one of a boy telling him to run. As his face became clear in Naruto's mind, a single tear fell from his eye as all he could say was, "Cairo nii-san."

The voice once again appeared saying, "**Now that you have unlocked your true self, Naruto, what will you do?**"

Naruto looked to the ceiling and said, "I'm going to live, protect those I care about, find my brother, and become Hokage."

The voice then said, "**Activate your eyes and return to the real world. An hour may have passed in here, but only a second has gone by outside of this place.**"

Naruto then looked in a mirror that he summoned and saw that his eyes had changed. Instead of their normal blue, they were now a grayish purple with six rings in each eye.

The voice then said, "**The name of those eyes is the Rinnegan. It was the dojutsu of the Rikudo Sennin. He passed this bloodline down to your clan, the Uzumaki Clan. It is now time for you to wake up. When you go, remember the words '**_**shinra tensei'**_**."**

Naruto looked around and saw that the alleyway had become clear again. Before he could do anything else, his world faded back into reality…

Alleyway…

The man still had his knife in Naruto's shoulder, when he noticed that the boy had changed. Naruto now stood at a height of 5'7, with spiky, golden blonde hair that stopped just below his shoulder blades, and whisker marks that were slightly darker.

As he opened his eyes to look at his attacker he said in an apathetic tone, "**Shinra tensei.**" The man was instantly blasted away from him, and landed at the feet of one Kakashi Hatake. Kakashi looked down at the man then looked back up at the alleyway where Naruto was.

Upon seeing the mob of villagers, he quickly rushed over and shouted, "What in the hell do think you're doing to my student?"

One of the crazier villagers said, "We're finishing what the Yondaime started by ridding the village of this demon!"

Kakashi just looked at the man like he had lost his senses. He then said, "I'm in a good mood today so I'll give you all to the count of ten to run for your lives."

The same idiot civilian said, "You're just one person. What can you do to all of us?"

Kakashi decided to answer the man's question by jamming a lightning covered fist into the man's heart. "I think I can do something like that," was his response.

He then looked at the rest of the crowd and said, "If I ever catch any of you attempting to harm Naruto again, this is the fate that awaits you."

Most of the crowd started to dissipate after that, but one decided to try his luck again. Sadly for him, the moment he tried to attack, he found a sword sticking out of his lung. Naruto then pulled his newfound katana out of the man's body and flicked the blood off with one swipe.

He then looked at Kakashi and said, "Thank you for that, Kakashi. It feels good knowing that you don't hate me."

Kakashi looked at Naruto's new self and said, "You look different. Do you want to tell me what happened? And where'd you get the sword?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Sure, but let's go someplace else to talk. This is gonna take a while and I'm getting hungry."

Ichiraku Ramen Shop…

As the two shinobi entered the ramen shop, they were greeted by the owner's daughter, Ayame. She looked at Naruto and asked, "Is that you, Naruto-kun? You haven't looked like that since you were six years old."

Naruto let out a chuckle and retold his story to Kakashi and Ayame. When he was finished, Kakashi said, "I'm glad you've decided to find your brother. Knowing Cairo like I do, he's spent the years getting stronger just so he could try to find you like you're about to do."

After eating a total of twenty bowls, Naruto and Kakashi parted ways to prepare for the next day. Ayame, however, walked to the back of the shop where a small bat was sitting on a table. It looked up at her and said, "Has there been any change?"

Ayame handed the bat a scroll and said, "The seal has been broken. He has regained his memories of those lost years."

The bat looked at her with glee and replied, "My master will be pleased to hear this. Is there anything else I should know?"

She then thought back to the conversation and said, "He has a mission, tomorrow. If you come back then, I should be able to tell you where he is headed. That is all for now, Limos."

The bat then nodded and vanished in a puff of smoke. Ayame could only smile as she said, "The wheel of fortune is finally turning in your favor, Naruto-kun."

Bar in Sunagakure…

Things were very noisy in the Dusty Bowl. It was almost hard to hear anything with the many people talking over each other. In the back of the bar, there were three people sitting around a single table.

One was a slightly tanned blond woman whose loose hair stopped below her waist. She wore an Anbu style uniform and had a Kumo headband around her neck. If you looked her in the eyes, you would see that she has heterochromatic eyes. The left one being neon blue and the right one being silver.

The second person and the oldest in the group was a dark-skinned male with black, shoulder length spiky hair with green tips. He wore an Anbu uniform, but had no headband. Attached to his hips was a pair of _**Falcon's Talons**_ that he used in combat. Closer observation would show that the bladed gloves were covered in blood while the actual blades were clean.

The third person and the youngest in the group was a tanned male with blue eyes and blond hair that was kept in a braided ponytail which stopped six inches below his knees. He wore an Anbu uniform and black trench coat that stopped at his ankles. He also wore a hitai-ate that had a full moon surrounded by clouds upon his forehead.

If anyone were to get in close enough, they would see that the blonde boy was three whisker-like marks on each cheek like a certain Konoha shinobi. The boy was about to order another drink when a small bat appeared and handed him a scroll.

He looked at the scroll and nodded to the bat, which vanished in another puff of smoke. He then looked up and said, "Nyiome, Shiroso, suit up. We're heading out."

Nyiome looked at him and said, "Where are we headed to this time, Cairo?"

Cairo Uzumaki looked at the scroll again and said, "We'll be heading to the forests outside of Konoha. That way we'll be able to keep a closer eye on the situation."

Shiroso stood up from his chair and said, "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get moving."

The three of them then left some money for their drinks and quickly exited the bar…

Village gates…

After a few moments of walking, they left through the gates. The moment they were outside, however, Nyiome looked at him and asked, "Are you ready for this, Cairo? After all, it's been a while since you've seen him."

He then activated his Rinnegan and said, "I've been looking forward to this day for seven years. Nothing is going to stop me, now. You guys go on ahead. I'll be with you shortly."

Nyiome nodded, and both she and Shiroso vanished in a puff of smoke. The last thing Cairo thought was, "_Get ready, world. I'm about to give Konoha a rude awakening. Naruto-nii, I'm coming for you._"

That was the last thought he had before vanishing in a flash of yellow light…


	2. 1: The Meeting of a Lifetime

A Brother's Return

Ch.1

Speaking: normal.

Thoughts, flashbacks, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, Danzo would've been killed by Sai.

Naruto had woken up at around 8:00 that morning. As he walked into the kitchen to prepare his usual bowl of ramen for breakfast, he found a note that said, "_The part of you that has been missing will soon reveal itself_. _Also, check your closet for the gift I left you_."

He decided to forgo the ramen and have a fruit salad. After eating, he went back into his room and discovered that his jumpsuits were gone.

In their place were twelve black muscle shirts, twelve pairs of black pants, twelve pairs of black sandals, twenty travel cloaks of various colors, and twenty sleeveless haoris in either red, black, or white.

On his closet door was another note that said, "_These are optional. You can always go back to those jumpsuits if you want_. _If you can find them, that is._"

Naruto decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and picked out one to the outfits. He then quickly ate his ramen and walked back to his room.

He then reached behind his pillow, pulled out his katana, and strapped it to his back. He then took one last look at himself and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Hokage's office…

Upon arrival, he turned to the Hokage's secretary and said, "Good morning, Yoshino-san."

The secretary looked up from her desk and said, "Good morning to you as well, Naruto. Hokage-sama is waiting for you in his office. I think he has a mission for you."

Naruto let off a bright smile and said, "That's good to hear. Maybe I can get out of the village for a while."

Yoshino looked at him with a sad face and asked, "Have the villagers been bothering you again?"

Naruto's smile slightly dropped. He then said, "They tried to kill me again, yesterday. I'm just glad that Kakashi-sensei was there."

Yoshino just nodded and said, "I've been meaning to ask you about your new look."

Naruto chuckled and said, "Someone left me the clothes. I don't know who did, but I like them. Also, those idiot villagers broke some kind of seal that unlocked my past self. That's why I look a little older."

The intercom on Yoshino's desk suddenly buzzed, alerting her that the Hokage was calling. She then pressed the button and said, "Good morning, Hokage-sama. Naruto is here to see you."

Sarutobi buzzed back, "Send him in. His team is waiting for him."

As Naruto walked into the office, he stopped and said, "It was good to see you again, Yoshino-san. Tell Shikamaru I said hi."

She just nodded at him as he walked into the office to join his team.

Office…

Naruto walked into the Hokage's office to see Sarutobi, his team, and Iruka waiting for him. Sakura looked up and shouted, "Naruto-baka, where in the hell have you been? We've been waiting for over an hour!"

She tried to hit him, but he quickly caught her hand, spun her around, and kicked her feet from under her. After she hit the floor, she asked, "Why did you do that to me?"

Naruto looked at her and said, "I did it because you tried to hit me. If you try it again, I'll break your hand."

Sakura then said, "You can't hurt me. You're the weakest member of our team. There's no way you'll ever be as strong as me or Sasuke-kun."

Kakashi decided to intervene and said, "In all honesty, Sakura, Naruto is the strongest member on the team while you're the weakest."

Sakura couldn't believe what her sensei had just said. Sasuke, however, looked at Kakashi and said, "I refuse to believe that some clanless orphan is stronger than I am. I'm an Uchiha, the Elite of the village."

Both Iruka and Hiruzen were steaming at that statement. Before either of them could reply, Kakashi said, "Hokage-sama, can you assign us a mission before I decide to kill my student?"

Sarutobi composed himself and said, "You're in luck today, Kakashi. I have a C-ranked mission for you. Your team will be traveling to Wave Country with a bridge builder to guard him while he completes his task."

At that moment, a middle aged man who reeked of sake walked into the room. He eyed the four shinobi and said, "Greetings. I am Tazuna, the super bridge builder. I was honestly hoping for more than a grown man, a teenager, and two young boys to be my protection."

Sakura bristled with anger and said, "I'm a girl, mister."

He looked at her again and said, "Sorry. I couldn't tell the difference with that flat chest of yours."

Sakura was about to pull out a kunai when Naruto said; "Calm down, Sakura. Can't you see that he's drunk? Attacking him would be bad for us and the mission."

Kakashi then said, "We'll be leaving in two hours. That should give you enough time to load up on supplies."

With that, both Naruto and Kakashi vanished in a swirl of leaves. Upon seeing this, Sasuke became furious. He began thinking along the lines of, "_How can that dobe have so much power? Power like that should belong to me, an Uchiha. I'll just make him give me his power, and if that doesn't work, I'll go to the council._"

Sakura, meanwhile, was thinking, "_How dare he show up Sasuke-kun? Just who does he think he is?_"

The two gennin, along with Tazuna, quickly exited the Hokage's office to prepare for the trip.

With Kakashi…

Kakashi had decided to get a quick bowl of ramen before leaving, when he saw a small bat flying in the direction of Ichiraku. Upon closer observation, he saw that the bat's eyes were those of the Rinnegan.

He then whistled to the bat and signaled for it to come to him. It circled him twice before landing on his arm. Kakashi then lifted his arm so that he and the bat were at eye level and said, "We're headed for Nami no Kuni. We leave in two hours and should arrive before sunset."

Although the bat said nothing, it nodded and quickly left in the direction it had just flown from. Deciding to forgo his lunch, Kakashi quickly sped to the gates.

Forests outside of Konoha…

Cairo, Shiroso, and Nyiome had been meditating when a bat landed on Cairo's shoulder. It whispered something in Cairo's ear and vanished in a puff of smoke. Cairo then stood up and said, "They're headed for Nami. I've already sent word to my apprentice to meet us there. She should arrive almost exactly when they do."

The others just nodded their responses before all three of them vanished into nothing.

Road to Nami…

Team 7 and Tazuna were making excellent time with their trek. A few yards away, they spotted a puddle. While Sasuke and Sakura paid it no attention, both Naruto and Kakashi saw it as a genjutsu.

The moment they passed it two Mist ninjas appeared and wrapped Kakashi in a bladed chain. With a sharp pull, the chain tore into Kakashi and ripped him to pieces.

Sasuke and Sakura froze up, but Naruto had taken out his sword and rushed the one on the left. He tried using his gauntlet to block Naruto's blade, but his arm eventually tired out, and Naruto stabbed him through the lung.

As he was about to deliver the final blow, the Mist ninja asked, "What's your name, kid?"

Naruto gave him a stern look and said, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Why do you want to know?"

The mist ninja started coughing blood and said, "I wanted to hear the name of my killer. That way when I'm in the afterlife, I can tell everyone there that I wasn't whacked by some greenhorn."

Naruto then knelt down by the man and said, "My real name is Naruto Namikaze."

The Mist ninja's eyes widened in shock. He had thought that the Namikaze Clan was only a myth. He then laughed and said, "My name is Gozu, young Namikaze. I have one final request for you. If you manage to kill my brother, I want you to take our gauntlets and find them a new home."

As Gozu uttered this final word, his eyes turned cloudy and he breathed no more. Gozu's brother, who had been fighting Sasuke, suddenly turned around to find that his brother had been killed in his fight.

He then walked over to Naruto and said, "I see that you have managed to kill my brother. I am Meizu. I heard my brother say that you are a Namikaze. My only request of you is that you take my gauntlet and run me through on it. If you do this for me, I can rest in peace."

Naruto then nodded and slipped on Meizu's gauntlet and pierced his heart. He then muttered his final goodbyes and, with a rested soul, died.

Naruto then said a short prayer for the two brothers before burning the bodies. Kakashi then came out of the woodwork and said, "Good work, guys. Naruto, I must say that I'm impressed."

Sasuke, on the other hand, was having different thoughts. He was angry because Naruto had managed to kill both of those ninjas. He was shaken from his thoughts when

Kakashi said, "Those were the Demon Brothers of the Mist Village. I think there might be something that Tazuna isn't telling us."

Tazuna then told them the story of how Gato, the business tycoon, had overtaken Wave and was sapping it dry of its money. Soon after, everyone decided to continue on for their own reasons.

An hour later…

Tazuna and Team 7 had finally made it to the bridge. After walking down the road to Tazuna's house for a few minutes, when they heard a slight movement in the bushes.

Naruto threw a kunai into the bush, which caused a small rabbit to hop over to Naruto and paw at his leg. When he picked it up he noticed that it was white. He then heard the sound of something flying at them and Kakashi shouted, "Everyone, get down!"

Everyone then hit the ground, but Naruto flipped over the blade at the last moment.

Cairo and co…

Cairo had just witnessed his brother jump over a large zanbato. He then felt the presence of three familiar people. The first two, he could tell were Zabuza Momochi and his apprentice, Haku.

The third, however, was his apprentice, Guren. Without so much as turning around, he said, "I'm glad you made it, Guren. I've missed our time apart."

She just jumped next to him and said, "I've missed you as well, Cairo-sensei."

Shiroso then interrupted the moment by saying, "Guys, Zabuza's going on the offensive."

Cairo let out a curse and threw a barrage of kunai at Zabuza. He would not let the nuke-nin ruin his chance to meet Naruto.

Battle scene…

Zabuza was about to swing his large blade at Kakashi again when several kunai clashed against his blade. He then looked towards the woods and said, "Whoever's there can come out now. I might even give you a merciful death."

He then watched as the one ninja he couldn't fight stepped out of the trees along with three others. The first one said, "You haven't changed at all in the last three years, _Zabuza Momochi_."


	3. 2: The Witching Hour 1

A Brother's Return

Ch.2

Speaking: normal.

Thoughts, flashbacks, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, Tenten would get more screen time than she does.

Zabuza just slammed his blade into the ground and said, "I know how you operate, Cairo. There has to be a reason that you're here."

Cairo just stared at him and said, "You're right about that, Zabuza. I came here to find him."

Zabuza saw that he was pointing at Naruto, but Sasuke thought he was pointing at him. He then asked, "What do you want with me, stranger?"

Nyiome let out a laugh and said, "We didn't come for you, _Uchiha_. We came here for Naruto."

Naruto then hopefully stepped forward and said, "You said that your name is Cairo. Do you mean Cairo _Uzumaki_?"

Kakashi dropped the kunai he was holding and said, "Yes, Naruto, this is Cairo Uzumaki. He's your twin brother."

Naruto cautiously moved forward and said, "Cairo-nii, is that really you? Are you really who you say you are?"

Sakura then ruined the moment by saying, "Of course he's not who he says he is. He can't be Naruto-baka's brother because Naruto's just a clan less orphan that doesn't even deserve to be a ninja."

Cairo silently raised his hand to choke the pink haired nuisance, but he never got the chance. Kakashi had almost immediately knocked her to the ground and said, "If there's anyone here who doesn't deserve to be a ninja, it's you. Also, the Uzumaki Clan comes from the Hidden Whirlpool village in Uzu no Kuni."

Zabuza nodded and added, "They were a royal family who had located two of the four legendary summoning scrolls. As for Naruto and Cairo, their mother was Kushina Uzumaki, my sensei and the daughter of the Sandaime Uzukage. Their entire village was wiped out by the forces of Iwa, and she was one of the few who survived. She went to Konoha where she fell in love with, and married from my understanding, the Yondaime Hokage."

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "That's correct, Zabuza-san. He was the same man who was not only my sensei, but asked me to sign off on their marriage witness statement."

Sasuke was seething. He kept thinking to himself, "_How can a dobe like him be related to two Kages? It doesn't make any sense. I'm an Uchiha. I deserve to be related to a Kage, not this loser._"

Zabuza then said, "Cairo, I'm glad that you've found your brother, but I still have to kill the bridge builder. It's nothing personal against you, Tazuna-san. I'm just a hired hand."

Before he could move, Cairo said, "Drop that zanbatō and stand down before I break you, Zabuza. You're a good friend of mine, but I won't let Gato ruin this land any more than he already has and you will _**not**_ impede my efforts to bring him down."

Zabuza just sighed as he stowed his blade. "You're still as cynical as I recall you being, Cairo Uzumaki. Still, I have no desire to fight you and being killed is not on my to-do list. Consider my contract with Gato to be nullified."

Kakashi nodded and said, "Naruto-kun, you and Cairo-kun will have to get reacquainted later. We need to get moving."

After another hour of walking, the group arrived at Tazuna's house. As they walked in through the door, they were greeted by a young woman. She then looked at the group and said, "Welcome home, dad. I see you've brought some friends."

Tazuna then said, "Tsunami, these are the ninjas that were hired to protect me. Everyone, this is my daughter, Tsunami."

After a short greeting, Cairo turned to his brother and said, "Now that you remember who you are, we need to run you through the courses. Also, I intend to introduce you to a few of the teachers I had during my travels. First, we'll run you through chakra control exercises. Then we'll work from there."

Naruto nodded and proceeded to follow Cairo and his group outside. Kakashi looked at Zabuza and said, "Feel like watching?"

Zabuza just silently nodded and walked out, followed by everyone else.

Outside…

Cairo and the others were standing by the lake when Cairo said, "I feel like we need to start you on your control, so we'll begin with tree walking."

Kakashi cleared his throat and said, "I already taught him that. I also taught him water walking and kunai balancing."

Sasuke then walked up and asked, "How could you have taught him that when we haven't been a team for that long?"

Kakashi then looked down at Sasuke and asked, "Did you say something? I was distracted by someone's incessant whining."

Sasuke and Sakura were angry while Shiroso and Zabuza were doubled up with laughter. Cairo just smirked and said, "I'm glad he knows those techniques. Now I can show him the perfect skill for someone like him."

Kakashi then said, "I'm curious as to what you'll be teaching him. I, on the other hand, will teach these clowns the tree walking exercise."

Sakura then asked, "What's the point of climbing trees? We can do that already."

Nyiome then walked over to a giant tree and said, "Can you do it without your hands?"

She then put one foot on the tree and walked up the side of it as if she were on dry land. She then jumped down and tossed two kunai to the gennin.

Kakashi then said, "Use those to mark your progress. Too much chakra and you'll blow off the tree. If it's not enough, you'll slip."

As Sasuke and Sakura started running up the tree, Kakashi slipped back over to Cairo's group. He looked around and noticed that the Uzumaki brothers were nowhere to be seen.

Kakashi was about to voice his question when he noticed everyone looking up. When he looked up, he saw Naruto and his brother were walking in mid-air.

He then said, "I have a Sharingan for an eye, and even _I _didn't see that coming."

Zabuza, while still looking up said, "I know what you mean. I've heard of ninja that can fly, but I've never seen one. This is a sight to behold."

Shiroso looked over at Zabuza and said, "Hey, Zabuza. What do you think Gato will do when he finds out that you betrayed him?"

He looked over and said, "Gato can go to hell for all I care. You and I both know that going against Cairo is a suicide warrant."

Shiroso just nodded and looked back up at the spectacle in the sky. Guren just smiled and said, "My sensei never stops surprising people."

Mid-air…

Cairo watched his brother and signaled for him to stop. He then said, "I'm amazed that you got this down so fast. Gravity manipulation can be a bitch to try and learn. Let's get back on the ground to start the next part of your training."

As they landed on the ground, they saw a small vortex of red energy appeared next to them. Cairo then said, "Naruto, come with me. We're going to The Gates of Hell to meet your new teachers."

Kakashi then put his hand on Cairo's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry, but I can't let you drag my student off to Hell."

Nyiome laughed and said, "He didn't say Hell. He said they were going to The Gates of Hell. They're going to a bar."

Cairo then said, "I won't stop you if you want to come. I will warn you, however, not to read that book while we're there. My teachers have a certain…_dislike_ of perverts."

Kakashi just nodded and stepped into the red energy with the other two. Cairo said, "I want you guys to trai…I mean torture Kakashi's students while we're gone."

Zabuza's apprentice suddenly appeared and asked, "Didn't you mean it the other way around?"

Cairo just chuckled and said, "It's almost like you don't know me at all."

The group then watched as Cairo, Naruto and Kakashi vanished in a purple flash.

The Gates of Hell…

As the three ninja appeared out of the portal, Kakashi and Naruto noticed that they were indeed in a bar. They also noticed a man behind the bar. He was a bald, black man whose poker face could put Ibiki to shame.

As Cairo walked up to the bar, the man said, "I see you've brought some new friends with you, Cairo. I'm assuming you didn't come here for a drink."

Cairo laughed and said, "As a matter of fact, Rodin, you're right. I'm here for two reasons. Do you know where Cereza and Jeanne are?"

Rodin chuckled and said, "They're running a few errands in Vigrid for me. They should be back in a few minutes."

Cairo simply nodded and motioned for Naruto and Kakashi to come over. He then sat down and said, "Rodin, this is my brother, Naruto, and his sensei, Kakashi."

Rodin looked Naruto over and said, "It's nice to meet you, kid. If you ever need anything, meaning supplies or a drink, look me up."

At that moment two women, one in red and the other in black, appeared out of the red portal. The one in black said, "We're back, Rodin. Today's little episode was quite enjoyable."

Cairo didn't bother turning around. He already knew who it was. He then laughed and said, "It's good to see you again, Bayonetta. I'm guessing those winged rats are still up to no good."

Bayonetta then asked, "When did you get here, Cairo? I thought you were still in the Elemental Countries."

He just looked back and said, "I was. I'm here to introduce you and Jeanne to your next victim…I mean student."

Naruto and Bayonetta looked at him and asked, "What did you say?"

Jeanne chuckled under her breath and asked, "This is non-negotiable, isn't it?"

Cairo just nodded and Naruto said, "What am I getting into?"

Rodin then said, "If you're enlisting these two, that must mean that his Rinnegan has activated. In that case, I need to get him outfitted with some new toys."

Suddenly, the bar opened up to reveal a hidden weapon rack. Rodin then pulled out four dark blue guns that resembled the ones that Bayonetta had on.

Rodin then said, "These are the _Midnight Gazers_. They never run out of bullets and they pack one hell of a punch."

Cairo then took two of the guns and attached them to the back of Naruto's sandals. He then looked to Rodin and asked, "Can I get a White Russian without any vodka, kahlua, or ice?"

Jeanne just smiled and said, "Do you ever take it any other way?"

Rodin just bought out a bottle of chilled cream and said, "Do you want it in a cup or the whole bottle?"

Cairo just swiped the entire bottle and downed it in one go. He then turned to Bayonetta and said, "Cereza, I only want you to teach him about the realms, our history, and our connections with the eighteen spirit beasts. Once he grasps those concepts, everything else will come naturally."

Cereza then said, "I'll do it, but only on the condition that I get to do it _my_ way."

Cairo then nodded, placed a few bills on the bar, and said, "We're leaving, Kakashi. You're staying here for three days, Naruto. During those three days, you are to do everything that Cereza-sensei and Jeanne-sensei tell you."

Naruto then nodded and followed Bayonetta and Jeanne to the portal. Jeanne then said, "I hope you can gamble, little one."

Naruto had a slight evil grin on his face as the three of them vanished. Cairo then said, "I'll be seeing you soon, Rodin. Until then, tell those bastards in Inferno that if I have to come back, the devil himself won't be able to save them."

Rodin just laughed and said, "I'll be sure to relay the message."

Cairo and Kakashi stepped into the red portal and vanished in the flash of purple.


	4. 3: Bringing the Family Together

A Brother's Return

Ch.3

Speaking: normal.

Thoughts, flashbacks, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, the Sunset Genjutsu would be banned within Konoha.

Kakashi and Cairo returned to the sight of Sasuke and Sakura tired out on the ground. Kakashi then said, "I guess those two are done."

Zabuza put his hand on Kakashi's shoulder and said, "I've never seen a more pathetic pair of gennin. The girl kept whining every five minutes and the boy wouldn't stop demanding me to give him my sword."

Cairo just sighed and said, "At least I have my new toy to look forward to."

Tazuna then came out to the group and said, "We've got tea back at the house for any…what happened to those two? On second thought, I don't care."

He just walked back to the house and left the ninjas to their business.

Haku then looked up from a scroll he was reading and asked, "Am I the only one who noticed that Naruto-san didn't come back?"

Shiroso just looked at him and said, "You don't have to worry about him. He's learning a few new skills."

With Naruto…

Naruto was currently walking behind Bayonetta and Jeanne in a courtyard in Vigrid. Bayonetta turned to him and said, "Cairo brought you to us so that we could explain your connection to the Umbra Witches. I assume you've heard the tale of the Rikudo Sennin."

Naruto just silently nodded at this. Jeanne then said, "What no one knows is that we gave him the Rinnegan. It was also the witches who helped him turn the ten-tailed beast into the eighteen spirit demons. As a jinchuriki, you have a connection with the Umbra."

At that moment, a heavenly light shined upon them, and what seemed like angels were quickly descending. Jeanne then grabbed his shoulder and said, "Consider this your first test. Prove that you are an Uzumaki and fight."

Naruto swiftly pulled out his two handguns, and began shooting. He then ran up to one of the angels, slid under it, and shot it in the back of the head. He then quickly jumped to the side as one tried to hit him with its staff.

As soon as he dodged the attack, he noticed that everything was moving slower than usual. Three angels tried to rush him, but he saw them coming.

When he punched one, he saw something that shocked him. A portal opened in front of him, and out of it came a reddish orange claw that destroyed the three angels.

Bayonetta then walked over and said, "You did a good job for your first time. You've not only activated Witch Time, you've also used the Kyūbi's power."

She then went into explanation about Witch Time, his using of the Kyūbi's power, and various other things. Jeanne then said, "I want to have a talk with the Kyūbi. Would you mind showing me your seal?"

Naruto lifted up his shirt and pumped chakra into the seal, causing it to appear. A moment later, he found himself standing in the sewer that is his mind.

Cairo and co…

Two days had passed since Naruto was left in the care of the witches. Cairo then looked at Zabuza and said, "I hope you know that Gato's replaced you by now."

Zabuza shrugged and said, "I'm personally hoping that he got that pansy, Aoi. The concept of carving that pretty boy like a turkey is something to look forward to."

Cairo just laughed and said, "I'm hoping on Aoi as well. It'll give me the perfect chance to try out my new toy. I might even leave him alive as a gift to Anko."

Konoha…

Anko Mitarashi was currently signing in to her job in the Torture and Interrogation Department. Ibiki Morino looked around a corner and said, "Hey, Anko. I see you're in early."

She just smiled and said, "I've just got this strange feeling that something good is coming my way."

A few Anbu cringed at that. The last time she said that, her…_patients_ were screaming for an entire day. As she walked to her office, one of the Anbu fainted when she walked by.

Ibiki just sighed and said, "Someone get a mop in here."

Naruto's mindscape…

Naruto was walking along the sewers of his mind when he stopped in front of a giant cage. There inside the cage was a giant fox with nine tails. What surprised him, however, was that Bayonetta and Jeanne were standing next to him.

Jeanne then stepped up to the cage and shouted, "Wake the hell up, you lazy fox."

Kyūbi's eyes snapped open. The fox then looked down and asked, "**Who dares to command the great Kyūbi, lord of all demons?**"

Jeanne looked at the fox and said, "I am Jeanne of the Umbra Witches. My Umbran sister, Cereza, and I have come to seek an audience with you."

The Kyūbi let out a howling laugh and said, "**This has to be a most amusing sight. My jailer has brought two women, who claim to be witches, to speak to me. Everyone knows that the witches are all dead. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't devour the two of you for spouting such lies.**"

Bayonetta just scoffed at the Kyūbi. She then slipped between the bars of the cage, grabbed the fox's muzzle, and slammed its head into the cage wall. She then walked back out and said, "Watch what you say, Mr. Plushy. I've killed things for smaller reasons than this."

"**It seems I was wrong,**" Kyūbi said. "**There still are two witches alive. Also, while we're on the subject, I'm a**___**woman**_**!"**

She then looked at you and said, "**I know of you, Naruto Uzumaki. You smell exactly like your mother. She was a great kunoichi named Kushina Uzumaki. Around the hidden villages, she was known as the**_**Uzu no Kushi**_**.**"

Naruto then gazed at the fox and asked, "How do you know so much about my kaa-san?"

Kyūbi suddenly started to glow with a red energy and began shrinking. When the light faded, there was a woman standing where the fox had been.

She was about Bayonetta's height and had fiery red hair that stopped a few inches above her ankles. She was also wearing a red kimono with white foxes on it. What surprised Naruto the most were the nine flowing tails behind her.

She then said, "**I know of your mother because I**_**am**_**your mother. I am Kushina Uzumaki, the second jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Kitsune, but I am also the Kyuubi itself.**"

Jeanne then shook her head and said, "That shouldn't be possible. How can you be his mother?"

Kushina just replied, "**When the village was attacked, a man named Madara Uchiha came. He was the one who ripped the fox from my seal and forced it to attack Konoha against its will. When Minato weakened it, Madara's control broke. It saw that I was dying and merged with me in order for me to survive. I begged Minato-kun to do the sealing, seeing as we were both still about to die. I want you to understand that we both love you and your brother, Naruto. If the situation were different, we never would've left either of you**."

Naruto then started crying and said, "I remember. There was a time where I had wondered if my family ever cared for me, but now I can remember everything."

Kushina then smiled down at him and said, "**I'm glad that you've regained your memories, but it's time for you to go.**"

Naruto then slipped through the bars and gave his Kushina a tight hug. She then waved her hand which caused a giant scroll to appear. "**This is the**_**Kitsune Summoning Scroll**_," she said. "**By signing this, you'll be able to summon many different foxes, myself included, into battle. When you see your brother again, I want him to sign this scroll.**"

After Naruto signed his name and resealed the scroll, he placed it on his back and left the cage. He then snapped his fingers and watched as the scenery changed to a giant forest. He then walked over to Bayonetta and Jeanne, and the three vanished in a purple flash.

Gato's hideout…

Gato was furious that Zabuza had betrayed him, so he decided to call in his second choice. "Are you sure that you can handle this, Rokusho-san," asked Gato.

The man just looked down and said, "You can be sure that the bridge builder will indeed die. Also, you don't have to be so formal. Just call me Aoi."

Tazuna's house…

Kakashi, Zabuza, and Cairo's group were playing cards while Sasuke and Sakura…I mean Emo-fabulous and the Banshee were practicing their tree walking. Kakashi threw down his cards and asked, "Who thinks they can beat a full house?"

Shiroso looked at him like he had a second head. He then said, "Kakashi, that's the worst thing to ask when playing Cairo. It's as if he's got Tsunade's gambling addiction without the bad luck."

As if to prove his point, Cairo threw down his cards and said, "A royal flush beats a full house any day."

Kakashi just sighed as Cairo pulled in all of the chips. The blonde smirked and taunted, "Don't gamble with an Uzumaki."

At that moment, a red portal opened in the living room, and Naruto appeared in a purple flash. He then looked around and asked, "Isn't there supposed to be a duck and a banshee with us?"

Cairo just pointed out the window to where Sasuke and his fangirl were. A moment later, said people walked through the door looking exhausted. Sasuke looked at Naruto and said, "What's the matter, dobe. Did your teachers get tired of you?"

Sakura, being the mindless tool that she is, added, "I bet they would've had a better time training Sasuke-kun. _I_ might've even learned more than you could."

Naruto just calmly pulled out two of his guns and pointed them at his moronic teammates. He then said, "Cereza-sensei and Jeanne-sensei would never waste their time with the two of you. Also, as Cereza-sensei puts it, don't fuck with an Umbra. It might be the death of you."

Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, walked out of the kitchen to announce dinner, when her son, Inari, suddenly stormed in. The little boy looked at the group and said, "I don't know why you're trying so hard to stop Gato. He'll just kill you if you try to stand up to him."

Naruto put his hand on Inari's shoulder and said, "I get that you're hurting, kid, but you have to understand that a person like me can't stand to see people suffering."

Inari shrugged off the hand and said, "What do you know about suffering? I bet you've got some nice, comfortable house waiting for you back home, don't you? I bet you've never had to deal with hardship a day in your life."

Tsunami was about to reprimand her son, but was stopped by the sound of a resounding crack. Coming back to her senses, she saw that the sound was actually Naruto slapping her son.

He then grabbed Inari by the collar and said, "Don't you dare say that you've suffered more than I have. For thirteen years, I've dealt with being the pariah of my village. Until seven years ago, I at least had my nii-san with me. The village then decided to do the one thing that would truly hurt us more that all of the beatings, chasings, and murder attempts could ever do. They exiled him from the village, thereby leaving us both alone. Don't ever think that you've suffered more than I have, because there's always someone who had a worse life than you."

Naruto then dropped Inari and headed out the door. Cairo bowed his head in silence before letting a few tears fall.

Tsunami then looked at Kakashi and said, "Is that true, Kakashi-san? Have they really been made to suffer that much?"

Kakashi wiped a tear from his eye and said, "The sad thing about his story is that it was a severely watered down version."

Tsunami just looked on and said, "That's horrible. How could someone treat a boy as nice as him like that?"

Sasuke scoffed and said, "The dobe probably deserved it. I don't see how he was made a ninja."

Cairo just looked at Guren and said, "Watch the house until I get back, Guren."

She nodded her understanding and watched as her sensei vanished in a blue mist. Sakura looked at Guren and said, "Why are you taking orders from a loser like him?"

Suppressing the urge to choke the pink haired girl, Guren said, "He's my sensei. He taught me how to truly master my kekkei genkai, the **Shōton**. I thought I knew everything about it until he poked a hole in my logic."

Sasuke looked at her and said, "I doubt that he could teach you much of anything."

Guren just smirked and said, "**Shōton: Ruby crystal trap**."

Sasuke's lower body was suddenly encased in a red crystal. She then formed a blue crystal in the form of a blade and said, "You need to learn when to hold your tongue. My sensei could kill you in his sleep if he wanted."

With Naruto…

Naruto stood panting in a field of trees that he had vented his anger on. He then stiffened as he heard someone approaching. Before he could pull out his sword, he heard his brother say, "I can understand you doing this to the Uchiha and the harpy, but these trees haven't done anything to you."

Naruto just chuckled and pulled out the scroll that their mother gave them. He then told him of everything that had transpired during his three day trip. Cairo then signed his name next to Naruto's and said, "I think we should summon her. I think _**you**_ should summon her."

Naruto bit his finger, did the five required handsigns, and shouted, "**Kuchiyōse no jutsu**."

Kushina then appeared in a puff of smoke and said, "It feels so good to be out of that damned cage. I can't believe that I finally get to see you face to face, my sochi."

At that moment, Cairo did the one thing that he hadn't done in over seven years. He dropped to his knees and let the floodgates pour open. With every tear he shed, he thought of the woman in front of him, the people who molded him, the woman who became his student, and the brother he was torn from.

Naruto placed a hand on Cairo's shoulder and said, "It's all over, nii-san. The nightmare is finally over. We're finally together again."

Kushina nodded as she embraced her children. She had her family back, and she wouldn't allow _**anything**_ to threaten that.


	5. 4: Preparing for Battle

A Brother's Return

Ch.4

Speaking: normal.

Thoughts, flashbacks, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, the Sunset Genjutsu would be banned within Konoha.

For the rest of the night and well into the next morning, Cairo, Naruto, and Kushina retold every event that had gone on in their lives. They were cut short when Haku found them and said, "Kakashi-san would like to see you both."

The four of them then travelled back to the house where Kakashi was waiting. When they got to the house, they saw Kakashi's eyes bug out of his head.

He ran up to Kushina and said, "H-how are y-you alive? You died over thirteen years ago."

Sasuke looked at his sensei and said, "Who's the lady talking to the dobe? She must not be that special if she talking to him."

Zabuza suddenly lifted him by the collar and said, "She is the daughter of the Sandaime Uzukage of Uzushiogakure no Sato. If you ever show my sensei that kind of disrespect again, I'll cleave you in two."

He then dropped the last Uchiha, who then said, "Why should I show respect to the daughter of a ruined village's _former_ Kage?"

Sakura nodded and said, "For all we know, she might not even be that strong."

Kushina just laughed and said, "I'm surprised, Kakashi. You've got a fangirl and an emo on your team. I could've sworn you had higher standards than that."

Kakashi just stared at her and said, "Very funny, Kushina-sama. Keep it up and I'll tell Naruto about the ramen incident."

She just glared at Kakashi and said, "You win this round, Kakashi. Just know that an Uzumaki always gets even."

Cairo then cleared his throat and said, "That's great and all, but I think we should teach Naruto the **Rasengan**."

Kakashi then said, "I've been wondering when you were going to get to that."

Sakura then asked, "What's the **Rasengan**?"

Cairo just formed a ball of swirling chakra in his hand and rammed it into a tree, stirring up a lot of dust. When the dust cleared, the tree he hit, and ten trees behind it, was completely gone.

Cairo looked at Sakura and said, "_That_ is the **Rasengan**. It's a jutsu created by our father and its sole purpose is complete destruction."

Sasuke then walked up to him and said, "I want that jutsu. You _will_ teach it to me."

Cairo gave him an apathetic look and said, "I _know_ you're not threatening me, Uchiha. I wouldn't teach you the **Rasengan** for anything."

Cairo then started to walk away, but Sasuke had other plans. He rushed Cairo with a kunai, hoping to stab him, but stopped short when an emerald green gun was in his face.

Cairo then put the gun away and said, "You can attack someone behind their back, but you can't face them like a true man. Itachi would never resort to such cowardly tactics. You never deserved to call him your nii-san, just as your bastard tou-san never deserved to call him his son."

Shiroso then shouted, "Cairo, that's enough! You know good and well how arrogant and corrupt their clan was, but the past is the past. It's time to let go of what happened."

Cairo threw off his coat and shirt, revealing multiple scars across his back. He then turned back to Shiroso and said, "I will never forgive them for what happened to me, Shiroso. I'm forced to live with both the physical and mental scars from what happened that day. That's not something I can ever let go of."

Guren suddenly appeared and said, "Is something troubling you, sensei?"

Cairo just shook his head and said, "Kaa-san, do you have the summoning scrolls with you?"

She nodded her head and summoned two giant scrolls. Kakashi then asked, "A-are those t-the scrolls for t-the D-dragons and T-t-tigers?"

She just nodded and said, "Of course. I found the Tiger Scroll in a cave in Yuki no Kuni, and the Dragon Scroll belongs to the Uzumaki Clan."

Cairo then unsealed a giant scroll from a seal on his arm and said, "As of now, we officially have all four scrolls. What you see in my hands is the summoning contract of the Wolf Clan."

Kushina looked at the scroll. The moment she opened it, she saw that the last person to sign it was a woman named Selena Inuzuka. She then said, "Where did you get the Wolf Contract?"

Cairo then looked to the sky and said, "Funny enough, this one wasn't even in the Elemental Countries when I found it."

**Flashback…**

_A ten year old Cairo was running along the rooftops of Vigrid when he saw a group of angels surrounding a young woman. Scowling at the angels, he jumped down from the roof and whistled at them. _

_As the angels turned around, he pulled out his guns and said in a joking voice, "Now this just doesn't look right. I see about ten of you freaks and only one lady. If any of you know what I'm about to do, feel free to raise your hands." _

_He waited for about three seconds, only to see that one of them actually raised its hand. Needless to say, the angel found himself with a hole in his head. He then twirled his gun and said, "You see boys, only a complete moron would raise their hand at a question like that. Now…let's rock!"_

_Cairo spent the next minute and a half weaving his way around the angels' attacks and blowing heads off of shoulders. When he was finished, he walked over to the woman and helped her up. _

_She then dusted herself off and said, "Thanks for that. My name is Selena, Inuzuka Selena." _

_Cairo nodded before saying, "Why would an Inuzuka be outside of the Elemental Countries?"_

_Selena pulled out a large scroll and said, "I've been entrusted by Kami-sama herself to get this to the Umbra Clan." _

_Cairo then grabbed Selena's hand and pulled her into an alley. He then looked at the scroll and said, "As a Chūnin, you should know better than to say things like that out in the open. Anyone could be listening." _

_She then muttered an apology and said, "I'm in a serious rush. I was given a watch to allow me to pass the barrier, but I'll be pulled back when time runs out. Also, the watch has a seal that will erase my memory of the barrier's location when my mission is done."_

_Cairo just nodded at this. He figured that the less people who knew about the barrier, the better. He then reached for the scroll and said, "You're in luck, today. I just so happen to be headed in the direction of where an Umbra is residing." _

_He then grabbed the pocket watch from Selena and sped down the counter. He then handed it back to her and said, "You've got enough time to answer a question for me. Is this a summoning scroll?" _

_She nodded her head and answered, "It's the legendary__**Wolf Contract**__. They allowed me to sign it only for the purpose of being its transporter. I don't know if they'll let me keep my name on it."_

_Cairo then smiled at her and said, "Thank you for your honesty, Selena-san. The witch I'm meeting would commend you for that. This might even put you in the wolf clan's good graces. I'd like to talk to you more, but it's time for you to go. When you return home, order a bouquet of white lilies and lavender. Deliver the bouquet to Hyūga Hinata, and tell her that they came from 'the yellow fox'." _

_Nodding her head in a slight amount of understanding, Selena watched as the pocket watch started to glow. She then said, "Good luck on your journey, young one." _

_Cairo extended his hand to her and said, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Selena." _

_She then grabbed his hand and, as they shook on the farewell, she faded into nothing_.

**Flashback end**…

"After that, I took it to Bayonetta," said Cairo, "and she told me to keep it."

Kushina just stared wide-eyed at what her eldest son told her. She then pushed the thoughts out of her mind and said, "That's an amazing tale, sochi. I think that we should wait until we get to the leaf village to sign the scrolls."

Sasuke walked over and said, "Why would you wait when you could just give me the scrolls now?"

Naruto just pulled out one of his blue guns and shot at the tree next to Sasuke's head. Kakashi looked at the tree and saw that the bullet had actually gone through that tree and seven others. "Nice shot Naruto," Kakashi said.

Naruto looked at him like he grew a second head. "What in Inferno do you mean 'nice shot'," he asked. "I missed his head."

Sakura suddenly found her voice and said, "What's wrong with you? You almost shot Sasuke-kun."

Naruto held the gun to her throat and said, "That was my intention. Morons like him need to be put down like the dogs they are."

Cairo then grabbed Naruto's arm and said, "You should know better than to insult dogs like that, Naruto."

Naruto let out a laugh and said, "I see what you mean. The Inuzuka Clan would have my head for an insult like that."

The resident banshee then shouted, "Don't ignore Sasuke-kun when he's talking to you. You should consider yourselves lucky that he's even speaking to you."

Cairo just looked at her and said, "Do you ever shut that trap of yours?"

Sakura then shouted, "You can't talk to me like that. My mother is on the council and can have you arrested."

Kakashi then intervened, "Actually, she can't do anything to them Sakura. Naruto's a registered ninja and Cairo's not even a Konoha citizen. Your mom has no control over either of them."

Sakura just stormed off in a huff, causing Cairo to laugh. "What a hopeless child," he said. Kakashi just pulled out his little book, causing Kushina to glare at him.

"What are you reading, Kakashi," she asked in her sweet voice.

Kakashi just hid the book and said, "Nothing anymore, Kushina-sama."

Kushina smirked as she said, "That's what I thought I you would say."

Naruto fell over laughing and said, "Wow, Kakashi-sensei. My mom's got you whipped."

Kakashi looked at Naruto and said, "Keep that up and you'll be on the receiving end of my Sennin Goroshi."

Naruto just glared and said, "You win this round, sensei."

Next day…

The Uzumaki trio had gotten up early to begin their day. Kushina spent her time training Naruto in the Uzumaki fighting style while Cairo sent a clone down to the Gates of Hell to check on his new project.

A few hours later, Team 7, accompanied by Shiroso and Nyiome, Guren, Zabuza, and Haku, walked out of the house to begin their routine. Zabuza and Haku went off to help Kushina and Cairo, Guren sparred with Shiroso and Nyiome, and Kakashi had the two losers on the tree climbing exercise.

About halfway up the tree, Sasuke stopped and said, "Why does the dobe get special training, but I don't?"

Kakashi threw a look at him and said, "Zabuza is training him because he was Kushina's student. Kushina is training him because she is his mother. Cairo is training him because they're brothers. Now, unless you have something useful to say, I suggest you get back to work."

Sasuke jumped down from his tree and said, "No. I demand that you make those people teach me. I'm an Uchiha. I deserve their techniques. If I have to, I'll go to the council."

Kakashi then did something that he had been waiting to do for a long time. He charged his fist with chakra and knocked Sasuke to the ground.

"Listen to me and listen well," he said. "If you ever try to pull a threat like that again, I'll kill you myself. Cairo was right. You're a disgrace of a ninja."

As Kakashi walked away, Sasuke pulled out a kunai and rushed at him. About halfway, he was stopped by a black panther and a red lynx. The two animals changed into a pair of women who were wearing a black and white outfit, respectively.

The woman in black said, "I'm guessing that you're this Sasuke person that Cairo has been talking about."

Kakashi turned around and said, "Cereza-san, why are you here?"

It was Jeanne who replied, "We were looking for Cairo. Rodin finished his little project last night and wanted us to drop it off."

Sasuke looked at the blade handle in Jeanne's hand and said, "Why don't you give it to me, instead? I'll make sure he gets it."

As he reached for it, Nyiome appeared and said, "I wouldn't trust you to deliver a blank sheet of paper to a trashcan."

She then took the handle and said, "I'll get it to him. He'd kill you if the emo kid got this."

Sasuke glared at her and said, "You will give me whatever that is. Only I would be able to wield it."

Bayonetta scoffed and said, "Please tell me he isn't serious."

A new voice called out, "He's as serious as the heart attack I wish he'd die from."

The group turned around to see the Uzumaki trio, Zabuza, and Haku approaching them. Sakura…I mean the banshee shouted, "Tell these two whores to give Sasuke-kun that weapon and to stop trying to seduce him. Why are they here, anyways?"

Cairo just ignored her and said, "I see Rodin actually got it finished. Now I'll have the upper hand against the Raijin."

Cairo channeled his chakra into the handle, causing a blade of wind to form. He then swung it at a tree, causing the tree, and eight others, to split in half.

Kakashi walked up to him and said, "What are you going to call it?"

Cairo just deactivated the blade and said, "I'm naming it Fujin, the wind god."

Sasuke grabbed Cairo's arm and said, "Give it to me. You don't deserve this kind of power. Power like this only belongs to an Uchiha."

Before anyone could move, a jade crystal was pointed at Sasuke's throat. The holder then said, "If you ever grab my sensei like that again, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Guren then removed the crystal from Sasuke's neck and kicked him away from Cairo. Sasuke tried to get up, but a foot landed on his chest.

As he looked up, he saw that it was a woman who looked to be in her early twenties. She had long, dark blue hair, light grey skin, a red diamond on her forehead, and violet eyes. The woman was wearing a blue cloak, a black leotard, blue sandals, and a gold chain belt with red gems.

She looked down and said, "O, how the mighty have fallen. I can't believe that someone as noble and kind as Itachi came from such a horrid clan."

Cairo then said, "That's enough, Raven. You can get off of him now."

Raven removed her foot from Sasuke's chest and said, "My apologies, sir. I've come to inform you that there is a conflict back home."

Cairo nodded and said, "Take Shiroso, Guren, and Nyiome with you. Assemble the 'you-know-what' if things get bad."

Raven just nodded and called over the three mentioned people. She then swung her cloak and surrounded them in a black energy. The mass of energy then formed a giant raven and took to the skies.

A worker form the bridge suddenly ran up to the group and said, "The bridge is under attack by some bird looking things and a man with green hair. You have to help us!"

Cairo cursed and said, "That bastard Gato is really pissing me off. It's time to put Gato out of a job…permanently."


	6. 5: Battle in the Waves

A Brother's Return

Ch.5

Speaking: normal.

Thoughts, flashbacks, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, Neji wouldn't be a prick and Hizashi wouldn't be dead.

The group quickly rushed to the bridge, only to find that the man was partly right. While the shinobi, save for Naruto and Cairo, couldn't see the angels, they were actually there. Also on the bridge were Aoi and over a hundred thugs.

As one of the angels blasted an arrow at the group, Cairo threw his hand forward and deflected it. "What was that," asked Kakashi.

Cairo then said, "It's an angel, but not the kind you're thinking of. These things are actually monsters that resemble birds. Focus on Aoi and the thugs, and we'll take care of these flying rats."

Cairo then waved his hand in a circular motion, causing a purple seal to appear in the air. The twins, along with Bayonetta and Jeanne, jumped through the seal and vanished.

Cairo then pulled out his green guns, the _**Emerald Lilies**_, and said, "I can't believe this. There's a party going on and we weren't invited. I believe some justice is in order."

With that being said, the four Umbra soldiers jumped into battle. Things turned in their favor within seconds of the fight.

Other side…

As the shinobi dealt with the thugs, Sasuke said, "I can't believe those cowards ran off."

Kushina slapped the Uchiha and said, "You've got some nerve calling my children cowards. They're in the dimensional world known as Purgatorio fighting off those sodding birds."

Kushina then blocked a thug's bat and kicked him in the stomach. Kakashi then said, "From what Cairo told me about the angels, they're usually pretty weak."

As a testament to his words, the four Umbra warriors reappeared through a purple seal. Bayonetta then said, "Well that was fun. It's such a shame that didn't last."

Cairo then said, "Focus on the task at hand. We've got more work to do."

At that moment, Aoi Rokusho decided to make himself known to the group. He looked at the shinobi and said, "Well this is a surprise. Not only do I get to kill Zabuza, I get to kill off the infamous Red Death of Uzushio."

He then pulled out the Raijin, hoping for an easy kill, but his blade was blocked by one made of wind. Cairo then said, "You've got a lot of nerve to threaten my mother like that. Remind me to send you directly to Anko later."

Aoi just scoffed and said, "Do you really think that your little wind blade can defeat the legendary sword that belonged to the Second Hokage?"

Cairo just smirked and said, "I don't know. Why don't you tell me after I do _this_?"

With that being said, he sliced through the blade of the Raijin like it was nothing. He then twisted the Fujin and slashed upwards, severing Aoi's arm from his body.

As Aoi screamed in pain, they heard someone say, "I should've known better than to hire a missing-nin. They never get the job done right."

Naruto just glared at Gato and said, "It's bastards like you that make the world a terrible place. Your reign of terror ends today, Gato. **Banshō Ten'in!**"

Before the crime lord could even move, gravity began pulling him across the bridge at an alarming speed. Zabuza, seeing the perfect chance to strike, jumped onto Naruto's shoulder and launched himself into the sky.

He then used a Mizu Bunshin to propel him at Gato. Just as the two came to an aerial crossing, Zabuza did a spin and let his blade do what blades do best.

The moment Zabuza touched down on the bridge, everyone noticed the blood on his blade and the head that rested only a foot away from him.

Cairo, having knocked out Aoi and sealed him in a scroll, quickly jumped over to the group and patted Naruto on the shoulder.

Bayonetta walked over to Naruto and said, "That was bloody amazing. I can't believe you pulled that off at such a young age. With a bit more training, you'll be an excellent Umbran soldier and a fine Hokage to boot."

Naruto just grinned and said, "We still have to deal with the rest of the thugs."

One thug stepped forward and said, "You killed our meal ticket. Now we'll just have to take it out on the town."

That same thug soon found an arrow lodged in his throat. The group turned to see Inari leading the villagers against Gato's gang.

Inari aimed his crossbow and said, "We won't let you take another step near our home."

Soon enough, the thugs turned tail and ran off. Naruto walked up to Inari and said, "Kaiza would be so proud of you, Inari."

A week later…

Thanks to the help of the shinobi, Tazuna got his bridge finished faster than he expected. When the group got ready to leave, Cairo turned to Tazuna and handed him a scroll.

He then said, "Don't open that until the second one gets here."

As the group departed from Nami, Tazuna said, "We never even named the bridge."

Inari pulled on his grandfather's hand and said, "I think we should call it the Great Uzumaki Bridge."

The bridge workers cheered at the name, and Tazuna decided to make it official. He smashed a wine bottle on the side of the bridge and said, "I hereby christen this bridge as the Great Uzumaki Bridge."

Somewhere in Ame…

The Akatsuki had just finished their meeting when Pein motioned for Itachi and Konan to follow him. As they entered a room, Pein put up a silencing seal and said, "Things have taken an unexpected turn. I never would've guessed that they would use my nephews as jinchuuriki. I'm even more surprised that my nee-chan is still alive. I have to ask you both about where your loyalties lie."

Konan grabbed Pein's hand and said, "Itachi and I will always be loyal to you, not to Akatsuki."

Itachi nodded at this and said, "I can also guarantee you that Kisame, Deidara, and Sasori are loyal to you as well."

Pein just nodded and said, "That's good to know, because we're going to retake the Akatsuki as our own. That bastard Madara has caused my family a great deal of strife. Allowing him to continue to exist is a danger that _cannot_ be accepted."

Itachi nodded and said, "You're right. It is time that Madara's goals…no; that Madara is brought to an end."

Konan then said, "We can't go to Konoha, Nagato-kun. We'd all be arrested at the gates."

Nagato shook his head and said, "You aren't a registered shinobi, so you won't have to deal with the local authorities. Itachi and I will keep an eye on things here, Konan. I want you to go and meet my sister and her children alone. "

Konan just nodded and vanished in a swarm of paper butterflies. Itachi then said, "You do know that my idiot brother is going to snap when he sees that robe. I just so happened to have been wearing mine when I fled Konoha."

Nagato looked off in the distance and muttered, "Itachi, you are such an idiot."

Meanwhile…

As the group made their way to the village, Cairo looked off into the distance and said, "Someone is coming in our direction."

Sure enough, a woman with blue hair appeared in a tornado of paper. The woman turned to Kushina and said, "Greetings, Kushina-sama. My name is Konan. I'm bringing a message from your brother."

Kushina gasped at this. She thought that her brother was long dead. She then grabbed Konan's sleeve and said, "Are you telling me that Nagato is alive. I swear if you're lying to me, I'll rip out your throat."

Konan just bowed out and said, "Nagato-sama asked me to pass on this scroll to you. He said that his family is his top priority."

She would've continued her explanation, but Sasuke stepped up and said, "Woman, I know that you know my brother. You _will_ tell me where he is this instant."

Konan just scoffed and said, "Itachi doesn't have time to waste on a second-rate ninja like you. Now go away."

Sasuke threw a kunai at her, but it suddenly stopped before reaching her. Cairo then said, "Don't you know that killing messengers is just wrong."

He then took the floating kunai and threw it at Sasuke's feet. Konan then said, "You're skills with the Rinnegan are quite impressive, Cairo-sama."

Cairo just waved her off and said, "Just call me Cairo. I'm not one for formalities."

Konan nodded and said, "Very well then. We'll be in touch soon."

Her body suddenly dissolved into a flock of paper butterflies. Kakashi just whistled and said, "Now that that's done, let's get back to the village."

Konoha gates…

Izumo and his partner Kotetsu were currently on watch duty at the gates when Izumo said, "Hey Kotetsu, take a look at who's back."

Sure enough, when Kotetsu looked up from the book he was reading, his eyes almost popped out of his head. As the group passed by, Kotetsu said, "It's good to know that you've made it back, Cairo."

Cairo just let out a sinister laugh and said, "Trust me when I say that this village is in for a show while I'm here. You two might want to get a front row seat, because I'm about to rock Konoha to the foundation."

As the group walked into the village, they were surrounded by Anbu. What was strange about these Anbu was that they all had the 'Ne' symbol on their masks. Cairo calmly said, "Move out of the way. We need to see the Hokage."

One Anbu shook his head and said, "You're in no position to make demands, boy. Now, you will come with us to see Danzo-sama."

Cairo bristled at this and said, "I've got a better idea. When you all wake up, tell that cripple that I said he can get bent."

He then activated Witch Time and knocked out the Root Anbu. When he was done, he brushed off his jacket, put on a mask like the one Kakashi wore, and continued to Hokage Tower.

Later…

After Kakashi gave his mission report, Zabuza, Haku, and the three gennin were dismissed from the room. Sasuke then said, "I'm an Uchiha. Therefore, I deserve to hear anything that you have to tell them."

Cairo then said, "You might be an Uchiha, but you're still just a gennin. You haven't even activated your Sharingan yet. Therefore, you have no place in this meeting."

He then grabbed Sasuke by the collar and threw him out of the room. Cairo then activated a silencing seal and said, "Now we can give you the info about what didn't go into the report."

After that was done, the Hokage could only stare in shock at what he had heard. Once his brain had processed all of the information, Sarutobi said, "It's time for me to call a council meeting. I need to personally teach Danzo, the elders, and the civilians that _I'm_ the Hokage around here."

Kushina could only smile at this. Gone was the mild-mannered old man, Hiruzen. The man she was looking at was the man who had been named the Professor. This was the true Sandaime Hokage of Konoha.

Cairo then said, "Before I forget, I sent word out to Tsunade about all of this."

Sarutobi just sighed and said, "You do realize that she's going to go on a rage induced rampage when she gets here."

Cairo just nodded and walked out of the room. "That's what I'm counting on."

Council chambers…

Danzo was busy wondering what Sarutobi had called this meeting for. He could've been using this time to try to capture the nine-tails host. The Hokage suddenly burst into the room followed by two figures wearing hooded cloaks.

A woman with pink hair shouted, "Hokage-san, who are they?"

Sarutobi looked at her and said, "That's Hokage-_sama_ to you, Haruno. As for the two people behind me, they are my guests."

Tsume Inuzuka smirked at this. She knew that the Hokage had something planned. Sarutobi then said, "I have called this meeting to discuss Naruto's heritage."

The civilian council shouted at the Hokage for his declaration. Cairo stepped forward and shouted, "All of you are to be silent at once! It's time that you learn who's in charge around here! You answer to the Hokage, not the other way around!"

Tsume let her smirk grow bigger and said, "You there, please be so kind as to remove your hood and introduce yourself."

Cairo just pulled his hood back, letting his ponytail fall from its restricted place. As he removed the hood, he said, "My name is Cairo Uzumaki."

Danzo then shouted, "Root, arrest that boy right now!"

Three of Danzo's Root Anbu surrounded Cairo, but they suddenly all passed out. The Hokage then said, "I thought I told you to disband that group. How dare you go against me, Danzo?"

Danzo stood up and shouted, "I did what was needed for Konoha."

"No," Cairo said, "you've been doing what was needed for your own selfish desires."

Sarutobi then shouted, "I've had enough of this. Danzo, if you don't disband your little organization, I'll have you executed for treason. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to the meeting. Naruto is the child of both Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze."

Saiyuri Haruno sneered at Kushina and said, "It figures that the little hell spawn would be the child of this Uzumaki _whore_."

Suddenly, the entire room was flooded by an intense killer intent. A menacing voice then asked, "Would you like to repeat that little remark, please?"

Everyone turned to the only doors in the room only to find a pissed off Tsunade Senju cracking her knuckles. Tsunade then said, "You have no right to call anyone a whore, Haruno. Or do I need to tell everyone how you once tried to seduce both Jiraiya and Minato?"

Cairo just walked over to the angry sannin and said, "I'm glad you've made it, Tsunade oba-chan."

Tsunade just sighed and said, "I told you not to call me that. Anyway, I'll be taking back my seat on the council now that I'm here."

Danzo and the elders cringed at this. They knew that if she took back her family's position, they would lose some leeway on voting. The elder, Homura Mitokado, stood up and said, "I thought that you didn't want anything to do with Konoha after what happened all those years ago."

Tsunade just sat down in her spot and said, "That was before I got Cairo's letter. He explained everything that you morons have been doing."

Sarutobi then announced, "Due to their heritage, Naruto and Cairo now have access to the Namikaze Clan compound and all of its facilities."

A fat civilian stood up and said, "I object to this notion. The little bastards don't deserve any of it. I believe that it should go to the Uchiha."

The entire civilian side, as well as the elders, nodded at this. Another civilian then said, "Also, there is no one to hold the Namikaze seat on the council. Therefore, I believe that the seat should also go to Uchiha-sama."

Kushina just laughed and said, "I don't think so. Due to being Minato-kun's legally married wife, both the Uzumaki and Namikaze seats belong to me. That little Uchiha prick will have to get my permission to as much as come near my compound."

Tsume let out a barking laugh and said, "You really are the mother of your children. That was the funniest thing I've heard all day."

Hiashi Hyuga just nodded in agreement and said, "I agree with you, Tsume. Our old teammate is probably laughing as we speak."

Somewhere in heaven…

Minato, Kami, Yami, and Shinigami were all bowled over from laughing at the council meeting. "What do you think will happen when they find out Cairo's little secret," asked Yami.

Shinigami looked at his sister and said, "I'm personally hoping that they all piss themselves."

Back on earth…

The Hokage was about to call the meeting to a close when he remembered something important. He then stood up and said, "Before we go, is there anything that you would like to say Cairo?"

Cairo had a menacing look on his face. He then said, "I want to make an announcement to the civilian council and the elders. If I catch wind of you messing with my mother, brother, or anyone I care about, you'll soon find yourselves facing the entire force of the Kagegakure no Sato, otherwise known as the Village Hidden in Shadows."

Homura stood up in alarm and said, "You're a Kage-nin?"

Cairo let out a chuckle and said, "I'm not a Kage-nin, I'm the Shodaime Yamikage. Two years after my banishment, I acquired a summoning contract. I won't tell you whose contract it is, but I will tell you that through the use of summoning seals, I devised a way to build Kagegakure in an alternate dimension. That way, you have to be with a Kage-nin to enter."

Sarutobi then called the meeting to an end and said, "I hope you all remember that while Cairo-kun is in the village, he's a foreign dignitary and that attacking him could lead to a war."

Tsume let out another laugh and said, "I told you rat bastards that this would come back and bite you in the asses later. I guess that karma's finally caught up to you. Also, can someone get a mop in here to clean up after whoever pissed on himself?"

Sarutobi nodded and said, "Before I finally call this meeting to a close, I would like to make two announcements. First, anyone who mentions the contents of this meeting will be put to an immediate death. Second, the Chunnin Selection Exams will begin in three weeks."


	7. 6: Chūnin Exams part 1

A Brother's Return

Ch.6

Speaking: normal.

Thoughts, flashbacks, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, Itachi would've killed Orochimaru at the first chance.

Kakashi was currently training his gennin team for the exams, when Cairo appeared out of nowhere. He then looked at the jonin and said, "I take it you're training them for the exams."

Kakashi just nodded and said, "While your brother's soaking up my lessons like a sponge, the other two are terrible. Sasuke has an attitude problem like no other and Sakura is nothing more than a blinded little fangirl. If they survive the exams, I'll give up reading Icha Icha for a month."

Cairo just shook his head and said, "You won't have to worry too much about them. I'll be sending in a team from home to keep watch over Naruto and the morons."

Testing day…

As Team 7 approached the second stairway, they were stopped by an ensuing fight. A girl with buns in her hair said, "Please let our teammate go. We just want to enter the testing room."

The boy holding the leg of the one wearing spandex said, "You should consider this an act of mercy, girl. I've seen stronger people than you die in these exams."

Sasuke decided to make himself known by saying, "Drop the genjutsu on the door and let us through."

A female's voice said, "You really are an idiot, boy. That genjutsu was to weed out the weaker competition. Now we'll be dealing with twice the opponents."

Team 7 turned around to see a girl with black hair, purple eyes, and orange skin. She then looked at Naruto and said, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Naruto-sama. My name is Karina Anders, but everyone calls me Blackfire. These are my teammates; my sister Kori, who we call Starfire, and our friend Garfield Logan, who we call Beast Boy."

Garfield sneered and said, "The name is Mark. You know I don't like being called by my first name."

Naruto just looked confused and said, "How do you know me, and why did you call me Naruto-_sama_?"

Karina just chuckled and said, "While I can't tell you about that, I can tell you that you'll find out in due time. Your brother has a surprise that's going to rock Konoha to the core."

With that being said, their team tried to walk away from the group, but was stopped be the Uchiha. "Who are you three and what village do you come from?"

Kori just pointed her thumb to the headband hanging from her neck. It had a picture of a full moon enshrouded by clouds. She then said, "All you need to know is that we have no intention of leaving Konoha as a genin team."

Testing area…

After a brief conversation with Kakashi, Team 7 made their way into the room. Upon entering, Sasuke was immediately glomped by Ino Yamanaka. Sakura then said, "Get off of Sasuke-kun, Ino-pig."

Ino just stuck her tongue out at Sakura and said, "What's the matter, billboard brow. Are you afraid that Sasuke-kun might like a _real_ kunoichi more than you?"

Shikamaru yawned and said, "To be honest Ino, both you and Sakura are talentless as ninja. How you two have made it this far is amazing."

The two fangirls were about to reply when someone said, "You should keep it down, guys. You're attracting a lot of attention to yourselves."

The gennin turned around to see a boy with round glasses and white hair. The boy then introduced himself as Kabuto and said, "Since we're from the same village, maybe I can help you guys out."

He then pulled out a stack of cards and said, "These are my Ninja Info Cards. They tell me everything I need to know on almost any ninja."

Naruto looked down at the cards and said, "I want information on the redhead from Suna and Neji Hyūga from Konoha." Sasuke then cut in, "I want info on that team with the strange headbands and Naruto Uzumaki of Konoha."

Naruto just gave him a dark look as Kabuto pushed chakra into the first card. He didn't want Sasuke knowing anything about him.

**Name**: Sabaku no Gaara

**Affiliation**: Sunagakure no Sato

**Teammates**: Temari and Kankuro

**Sensei**: Baki

**Rank**: Gennin

**Ninjutsu**: 13/20

**Genjutsu**: 0/20

**Taijutsu**: 10/20

**Notes**: Always leaves battlefield unscathed.

Kabuto whistled and said, "That's pretty interesting. Now, let's look at the next one."

**Name**: Neji Hyūga

**Affiliation**: Konohagakure no Sato

**Teammates**: Rock Lee and Tenten Higurashi

**Sensei**: Maito Gai

**Rank**: Gennin

**Ninjutsu**: 8/20

**Genjutsu**: 7/20

**Taijutsu**: 14/20

**Notes**: Wields the bloodline _Byakugan_. Shows proficient usage of _Gentle Fist_ style.

Kabuto then nodded his head and said, "While I don't have any info on that new team, I should be able to pull up Naruto-kun's card."

He then pushed chakra into another card. However, Naruto was quick to snatch the card away before Sasuke could look at it.

**Name**: Naruto Uzumaki

**Affiliation**: Konohagakure no Sato

**Teammates**: Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno

**Sensei**: Kakashi Hatake

**Rank**: Gennin

**Ninjutsu**: 17/20

**Genjutsu**: 12/20

**Taijutsu**: 16/20

**Notes**: Naruto is of the Uzumaki Clan. Known for their bloodline, the _Rinnegan_, and their mastery of sealing, the Uzumaki Clan makes for a dangerous foe when fully trained. Also noted that Naruto is the son of the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

Kabuto just smirked as Naruto gave him the card back. He knew that Naruto's info card had been placed there by Cairo.

As he wondered what the long-haired blond was planning, the sound of a barking dog threw his thoughts off. Turning around, he saw that it was the dog from Team 8 that had caused the disturbance.

Kiba Inuzuka, the one with the dog, shouted out, "It looks like the Rookie 9 is all here. I don't know about you guys, but I don't have any intentions of losing."

Ino looked at him and said, "Not all of us are here, Kiba. Haven't you noticed that Naruto-san didn't show up? He won't be able to test if he's not here."

Shikamaru just sighed and said, "This is so troublesome. The blond standing next to Kabuto-san _is_ Naruto, you troublesome woman."

Ino looked at Naruto's new look and said, "Are you wearing a wig or something? Your hair was never that long."

Naruto just chuckled and said, "I can assure you that this is my real hair, Ino."

He then turned to Hinata and said, "How are you doing, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata just blushed at him before saying, "I've been well, Naruto-kun. I'm glad to see that you're alright as well."

Meanwhile she was thinking, '_I always thought he was hot, but not_this_hot. I'd better control myself before I do something reckless_.'

Kabuto then spoke up, "I should warn you about the two new teams. While the team from Oto doesn't look like much, I've heard the team from Kagegakure no Sato was handpicked for this exam."

The Oto-nin with the strange gauntlet sneered at the comment and lunged at Kabuto. Before he could attack however, Blackfire palmed his face and threw him into a wall.

She then grabbed his throat and said, "He said that we were personally chosen to represent our village. What he didn't say is that our leader is the one who personally picked us by name."

The moment she let him go, a smoke screen erupted in the front of the room. A man stepped forward and shouted, "Alright, that's enough. I want all of you to sit down and shut the hell up. My name is Ibiki Morino, and for the next hour you can all call me your worst nightmare."

Jonin lounge…

Most of the jonin senseis were relaxing in the lounge when Kurenai asked, "How do you think the gennin teams are doing?"

Kakashi just chuckled and said, "I'm betting that we'll be seeing some of them sooner than you think."

Asuma looked up from his magazine and said, "I heard that they got put with Ibiki this year."

Before Kurenai could respond, a voice said, "They put that sadist in as a proctor! I feel bad for your gennin teams. I'm not worried about mine, though. They've seen and dealt with worse than him."

Kurenai looked to the voice and said, "Who are you and how do you know Ibiki-san?"

The figure just replied, "I'm the Yamikage from Kagegakure. I know Ibiki because he's a professional interrogator."

Kakashi just chuckled and said, "I'm glad to see that you've stepped out of the shadows, Yamikage-dono."

Cairo just glared at him and said, "You know that I'm not one for formalities. Still, I appreciate you keeping my true name to yourself. It's not time for people to know who I am just yet."

Kurenai looked at him and said, "How can you be a Kage? You don't sound like you're that old."

Cairo shook his head and said, "I'm honestly not. In truth, I'm only thirteen years old. However, that doesn't mean that I didn't earn my way to Kage. I became the Yamikage because I built the village from the ground up. With my special talents, no one will ever be able to invade Kagegakure."

Asuma put out his cigarette and asked, "What makes you think that people can't invade your village?"

Kakashi put his infamous book down and said, "That's easy, Asuma. You can't invade a place that you can't find. Sadly, I'm not in a position to explain myself."

Exam room…

Ibiki watched as the gennin all took their seats. He then said, "This test will have ten questions. You will answer the first nine questions on the paper, and I will give you the final question after fifty minutes. If we catch you cheating, we will dock two points from your test for each time you get caught."

He then looked at the gennin and said, "Does anyone have a question before we begin?"

At this moment, there was a slur of questions which were incoherent and, for the most part, stupid. Ibiki then said, "Shut the hell up! Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. Is there a question from anyone who _**isn't**_ a complete dumbass?"

After seeing that no one would speak up, Ibiki announced the start of the test. The exam was tougher than it seemed. Some of the participants were either too stupid to understand the true meaning of the test, or had tried to cheat and got caught.

However, there were a few gennin who managed to cheat without getting caught. Ibiki then stood up and said, "We've now reached the final portion of the test. Before I give the question, I'm compelled to ask if anyone wants to drop out now."

Naruto looked up from his position and said, "After coming this far, why would we drop out now?"

Ibiki laughed and said, "If you get the final question wrong, you'll be banned from these exams forever."

Sakura stood up and said, "That's not fair."

Ibiki glared at her and said, "Tough crap. Maybe next time you'll take the exams when I'm not a proctor. If there is a next time for you, that is. Now, does anyone want to drop out?"

Naruto watched as many teams quit on the spot. Sakura was about to raise her hand, but Naruto turned to Shikamaru. Understanding what his blond friend was asking, he used his **Kagemane no jutsu** to restrain the pink haired harpy.

After seeing that no one else would drop out, Ibiki shouted, "Congratulations to all of those who stayed. You have officially passed the first part of the Chūnin Exams."

A multitude of shouts erupted from the gennin. Ibiki then said, "Shut the hell up, you little bastards. The test was meant to gauge your info gathering knowledge. The final question, however, was a 'do or die' question."

He would've kept going, but a giant ball suddenly crashed through a window. The ball then opened up to reveal a woman in fishnet and an orange miniskirt.

The woman then said, "Listen up, you little maggots. My name is Anko Mitarashi, and I'm the second proctor of these exams. Everyone is to report to Training Ground 44 in exactly one hour."

Ibiki then tapped her on the shoulder and said, "You're early again, Anko."

As Anko looked around the room, she noticed Naruto trying to sneak out. She then ran up to him and said, "I can't believe that you'd try to sneak out without saying hi to me, Naruto-kun. That makes me feel sad."

Naruto just sighed and said, "Hi, Anko nee-chan. How have you been?"

Anko let out a fake pout and said, "I'd be better if my favorite plushy would visit me more often."

She then said, "I hope your team is ready for the next part of the exam."

One hour later…

After everyone arrived at the next test site, Anko jumped out of a tree and said, "Welcome to the second stage of the Chūnin Selection Exams. This part will be a team effort. For the next five days, you will be trying to reach the tower in the middle of Training Ground 44, also known as the Forest of Death."


	8. 7: Chūnin Exams part 2

A Brother's Return

Ch.7

Speaking: normal.

Thoughts, flashbacks, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, the Hokage would ban those green spandex suits.

Naruto looked at the forest and said, "I haven't been in there in ages. I wonder how big the tigers are now."

Many of the gennin took a step away from Naruto at hearing this. Anko however threw a kunai at him. He let the kunai fly past him, but Anko got behind him and said, "I think I should tell you that it's always the loudmouths that die first. I can't wait to watch you spill so much of that delicious blood."

Naruto just chuckled and said, "As much as I appreciate the concern, Hinata-chan might take this the wrong way and try to gut you like a trout."

Sure enough, Hinata had a look of deep envy on her face. Anko let go of Naruto and whispered, "Promise me that you'll be careful in there. I don't think that I could handle it if you went and got yourself killed."

Naruto just grabbed her and said, "You don't have to worry about me, Anko nee-chan. I know this forest almost better than you do."

Anko just walked away and said, "All of you are to take one of these forms and fill them out. After all, I don't want to be held responsible if one of you little pissants gets offed in my forest. Once you fill out your forms, you are to take them to a booth and trade them in for a scroll."

She held up two scrolls; one black and one white. "You must have both scrolls in order to enter the tower and advance to the next test," she said.

After everyone received a scroll, Anko ushered them to the gates. She then looked to the sun and said, "The test will begin…now!"

With that being said, the gates flew open and the gennin sped into the forest. Once the gates closed, Anko looked up and whispered, "Please be careful, Naruto."

Forrest…

Team 7 had stopped near a shallow stream. Sasuke then said, "Since I'm the strongest of the group, I'll be taking charge."

Sakura had no objections, but Naruto scoffed and said, "Last time I checked, Kakashi-sensei named me as team leader."

Sasuke just said, "I'm an Uchiha, so I get to lead."

Sakura cheered on her obsession, but Naruto just said, "In case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a forest that only _I_ know the layout of. So if you want to go off and get yourself killed, be my guest. Otherwise, you'll shut up and do what I say."

Sakura got in Naruto's face and said, "You can't tell us what to do. I bet you've never even been here before. And how do you know that proctor?"

Naruto pushed her away and said, "I don't answer to you, Sakura. And if you think that your tramp of a mother can do anything to me, let me give you a news flash. I fall under clan status, and your mommy can't do a damn thing about it. So shut the hell up, you talentless harpy."

Naruto grabbed their scroll from Sasuke and said, "I'll be carrying this. I don't trust either of you two farther than I can throw you off Hokage Mountain."

Sasuke was seething, but calmed down and said, "What direction do _you_ think we should head in, dobe?"

Naruto looked at the water and said, "There's a stream not too far from us. We can take a break there and then head south to the tower."

Team 8…

Hinata and her teammates were currently headed west when Shino said, "I can sense Team 7 nearby. I can also hear running water."

Kiba barked out a laugh and said, "If Team 7's nearby, we shouldn't have a problem taking their scroll."

Hinata looked at Kiba and said, "I thought that we weren't going after any Konoha teams."

Kiba frowned and said, "Personally, If Naruto was on any other team, I'd let em' go. Sasuke, however, is a different story. I'm tired of that prick thinking that he can get away with anything just because of his name. If we catch them, I'll leave them their scroll, but Sasuke's goin' down."

Hinata just let out a small nod and said, "Let's keep moving. We shouldn't be that far from them."

Team 7…

A team from Ame tried to ambush Naruto and his group, but they never expected a trap. The moment they surrounded Naruto, they found themselves unable to move. Naruto just chuckled and said, "Paralysis seals are so useful."

He then searched them, and quickly found both a **Heaven** and an **Earth** scroll. After relieving them of any other useful objects, he tied them to a tree and walked off.

As he approached his teammates, he felt a strong chakra level quickly headed in their direction. Before anyone could react, a strong gust of wind blew Naruto away.

Outside of forest…

Anko was currently enjoying her lunch when a Jonin came up to her and said, "Anko-san, we have reports that Orochimaru has infiltrated the village."

Anko let out a quick curse and said, "Inform the Hokage of the situation. I'll try to find him and hold him off."

Before the Jonin could reply, Anko had leapt over the giant gates. As she rushed through the forest, the only thing that she could think of was, '_You had better not be after Naruto, you snake_.'

With Naruto…

Naruto had quickly caught himself after being blasted away by that wind attack, only to come face to face with an unnaturally large snake. He just shook his head and said, "This is just not my lucky day. First I get hit by some wind blast, and then I meet up with this thing. What's next? Is Sarah Michelle Gellar going to come out fighting a vampire!?"

Naruto didn't even try to wait for an answer. Instead, he charged his fist with his mother's yōkai and rushed at the snake. As soon as the snake tried to open its large maw, Naruto jumped over it and slammed his fist into its head.

As he jumped down, he saw the snake vanish in a puff of smoke. "Oh crap," Naruto said, "only one person besides Anko can summon snakes. If he's here, then I'll need back up."

With that in mind, Naruto set off a red flare to alert the Anbu and quickly sped off in the direction of his teammates.

Team 7…

Sasuke and Sakura had survived the blast by using chakra to stick to the ground. A feminine voice then said, "So, I see that you survived my little attack. I would expect no less from an Uchiha."

Looking up, Sasuke saw that it was a Kusa-nin who was talking to him. He then felt something that he hadn't felt in a while…fear. He then said, "I'd give you our scroll, but our teammate has it. That dobe had the nerve to say that he didn't trust me."

A new voice then rang out, "Apparently, he was right not to trust you." Sasuke turned just in time to see a fist connect with his face.

As he got up, ne noticed that Kiba Inuzuka was the one who had punched him. Kiba then grabbed him by his collar and said, "I can't believe that you were about to do that. Naruto would never take the coward's way out. He would fight to his last breath."

Sasuke grabbed his hand and said, "Let go of me, you dammed mutt. I should have you arrested for so much as touching me without my consent."

Kiba just laughed and said, "What can you do to me? You might be the last loyal Uchiha, but you're not a council member like my mom is."

Sakura then regained herself and said, "Let go of Sasuke-kun, you loser. You're just jealous that he's a better shinobi than you."

Sakura would've continued if Hinata hadn't grabbed her by the throat and said, "I've had enough of you, Sakura. All you do is talk about Sasuke like he's some kind of god. Here's a news flash Sakura: Sasuke-san is not that great. He might be talented for a gennin, but that's it. He's not that special."

The Kusa-nin made a throat clearing noise and said, "As much as I would like to continue watching this little episode of 'All my genin', I'm afraid that I have to kill all of you."

She then took her scroll and swallowed it in one go. Suddenly, she jumped down from her position in the tree and stated doing hand signs. When she finished, she shouted, "**Earth style: Earth projectile Jutsu**," causing chunks of mud to shoot out of the ground at them.

As they were about to connect, someone shouted, "**Earth style: Mud Wall Jutsu**."

A wall of earth sprang out of the wall and shielded them from the attack. As the gennin looked up, they saw Naruto jumping towards them.

He then turned to the Kusa-nin and said, "I never would've expected you to be here, Orochimaru."

The Kusa-nin just chuckled and said, "Very good, little boy. I didn't think anyone would discover me so fast."

Orochimaru lifted his hand to his face and started peeling it away, revealing his true self. Naruto just grimaced and said, "I wouldn't be so relaxed if I were you, Orochimaru-teme. The Anbu are on their way to this location. With any luck, you'll be publically executed by sundown."

Orochimaru just smirked and said, "If that's the case, then I had better do this quick."

Before anyone could act, he stretched his neck out and bit Sasuke on the shoulder, causing the little emo to pass out. He tried to pull his head back, but Naruto grabbed him and pulled him forward.

As Orochimaru flew towards him, he charged his hand with yōkai. The moment our resident pedophile landed, Naruto plunged his hand into the man's left shoulder and ripped his arm out.

Orochimaru let out a menacing scream and said, "You little bastard. I'll see you dead, boy."

With that, Lord Voldem…I mean Orochimaru sunk into the ground. Naruto then turned to Team 8 and said, "Thanks for that, guys. I should've known that these two wouldn't be much use."

He then reached into his pocket and pulled the two scrolls. Naruto then handed the heaven scroll to Shino and said, "You might need this more than we do."

Shino just nodded and followed his team as they walked off. Naruto turned to Sakura and said, "You're carrying him, Sakura. You haven't done a damn thing for this team and it's time for you to put forward some effort."

Sakura just slowly nodded and pulled Sasuke over her shoulder and followed Naruto. Soon enough, they reached the tower, but felt a malevolent chakra before they could enter. Turning around, Naruto saw that it was Sasuke who was spewing out the evil chakra.

Sasuke looked down and said, "This power…it feels amazing. This is the power I need to kill Itachi."

He then looked at Naruto and said, "I'm stronger than you will ever be dobe. Now you will bow at my feet, as everyone else does."

Naruto just scoffed and said, "That's not power, Sasuke-teme. _This_ is power."

Naruto then started to slowly unleash his yōkai at the Uchiha. Sasuke quickly collapsed under the strain. '_How is he still stronger than me_,' Sasuke thought.

Naruto then walked up to him and knocked him out with a punch to the temple. He then told Sakura to grab him as they walked into the tower. Naruto then grabbed the two scrolls and opened them, causing them to start smoking.

He then threw then down and watched as the kanji for 'summon' appeared on them when they overlapped. In a puff of smoke, their old teacher, Iruka, and said, "Congratulations on making it through the forest, you three."

He then looked down at Sasuke and said, "I don't even want to know."

A moment later, they saw the team from Kagegakure walk in and opened their scrolls. In a puff of smoke, Cairo appeared in his Kage robes.

He was about to commend his team when Blackfire said, "Yamikage-sama, Orochimaru is in the forest."

Cairo just cursed under his mask and said, "Continue with the exams and let me handle that snake."

Anko…

Anko was swiftly flying through trees when her curse mark started to flare up. She then saw her old master missing an arm. As he noticed her, he let out a smirk and said, "Greetings, my old student."

Anko sneered at him and said, "The years have been really bad to you, Orochimaru-teme. Want to tell me how you lost that arm?"

The snake scowled and said, "The little Kyūbi brat ripped it off while we were fighting. If the Anbu weren't searching for me, I'd go back and kill the little bastard."

Before he could say anything else, Orochimaru found a heel in his face. Looking up, he saw that Anko had a murderous gleam in her eyes. "You will _never_ lay a hand on him you bastard," she said. "I'll protect that boy from you if it costs me my life."

The snake sannin just snickered and said, "Even if I only have one arm, I can still kill you and that little bastard child."

A voice then rang out, "You've got a lot of nerve calling someone a bastard child, you lowlife snake."

As Orochimaru looked up, Cairo's foot came crashing down on his face. He then looked at Orochimaru and said, "That Naruto kid sure did a number on you."

Orochimaru knew that dealing with a Kage and a Jonin in his current state would be a bad idea. He looked at the two and said, "Consider this to be your lucky day, Anko. I'll be seeing you soon. Also, tell the Hokage that if he pulls Sasuke-kun out of the exams, I'll destroy this village."

With that being said, Orochimaru sank into the ground and made his escape. Anko turned to Cairo and said, "Thanks for the assist, Yamikage-dono. Even with one arm, he would've been trouble."

Cairo shook his head and said, "You don't need to thank me, Anko. Your dedication to my brother is thanks enough."

Anko's eyes shot open. She then turned to the Yamikage and said, "What did you mean by that? Naruto's only brother was cast out of our village at an early age. I'll never forgive those bastards for what they did to him."

She then grabbed Cairo by the front of his robes and said, "Just who are you, anyways? I'm warning you now that I don't take kindly to people mistreating Naruto. I also have an extreme dislike of liars."

Cairo grabbed her hand and said, "You've always been too impulsive, Anko. Even now I can see that you haven't changed a bit."

Anko slammed Cairo against a tree and said, "Don't talk to me like you know me. I've never seen you a day in my life, yet you come to my village claiming that you know me and Naruto. As far as I know, you might be here trying to hurt him. Give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't skin you alive."

A soft voice suddenly called out, "Let him go, Anko. He has no intentions of hurting Naruto."

As the hebi Jonin turned around, she came face to face with someone she thought was long dead. "Y-you can't be alive," she said. "I thought you were killed in action."

Cairo looked at the woman and said, "When did you get here, Raven? I thought you were dealing with a problem back home."

Raven just shook her head and said, "We neutralized the problem not long after returning."

She then turned to Anko and said, "The Hokage put down killed in action on my profile to keep the council from catching me. It really is me, Anko."

Anko rushed at the grey skinned woman and pulled her into a deep hug. "I can't believe you're alive," she said. "Where have you been?"

Raven looked her in the eye and said, "I've been living in the Hidden Shadow village. I'm an Elite Jonin now, Anko."

Cairo looked at the two women and said, "Anko nee-chan, as much as don't want to cause you any more emotional problems, I'm afraid that I have to give you a few more."

Before Anko could ask him what he meant, he pulled off his hat and lowered his mask. The only thing that Anko could do was to stare at him in shock. Cairo walked up to her and said, "It really is me, nee-chan. After being away from the village so long, I've finally made it back."

Seeing that she was still in shock, he held up his right hand to her face. On his ring finger, Anko could see a gold ring with the kanji for 'promise' inscribed on it. Anko then came out of her stupor and said, "I-it r-really is you, Cairo. You really are here right now."

She quickly pulled Cairo into the strongest hug she could muster and started to release the tears that she had been holding back since the day he had been cast out; the very same day that she failed to save him and Naruto from Danzo Shimura and Fugaku Uchiha.


	9. 8: A Dark History & Preliminary Fights

A Brother's Return

Ch.8

Speaking: normal.

Thoughts, flashbacks, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, the Kyūbi would be a lot nicer.

Flashback (six years ago)…

_Anko was currently making her way to the Hokage tower after returning from a month long mission when she heard a loud noise. Deciding that her report could wait, she went to investigate the disturbance. _

_Upon arrival, she saw that the civilians were busy celebrating the night away. She was about to walk away, but stopped when she heard someone say "We've finally managed to get rid of one of the little monsters. It's just a shame that we didn't kill it." _

_After hearing that declaration, Anko rushed to see the Hokage._ _As she neared the door to the Hokage's office, she heard the old man shout, "Give me one good reason not to arrest you, Fugaku! What you did tonight was downright unforgivable!" _

_She then heard the Uchiha scoff and say, "I did this village a favor by getting rid of that demon. I only regret that I couldn't catch its brother." _

_The next thing she heard was the sound of something smashing against a wall. Hiruzen then shouted, "You will not get away with this, Fugaku. Not only have you disgraced the memory of the Yondaime, you have also lost this village four innocent children and a Tokubetsu Jonin. Anbu, take him away!"_

_As the Anbu dragged Fugaku off to jail, Anko walked into the office. Hiruzen walked over to Anko and said, "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Cairo Uzumaki has been forcibly exiled from the village along with three other children. Also, Raven left in search of them two days ago, but never returned. As much as I don't want to Anko, I have to declare them all as KIA." _

_Anko then remembered the words of the villager she passed on her way. Once her thoughts caught up to her, she faded into an uncontrollable rage. _

_Not a moment later, she pulled out a kunai and rushed off towards the celebration._ _The moment she arrived, she saw that the celebration had gotten slightly larger. She then saw the man who made the snide comment earlier and plunged the kunai into his throat. _

_As the villagers became aware of what was happening, they tried to gang up on her. Anko saw one try to sneak up on her, and she grabbed his arm and cut it off. She then stabbed him in the temple, silencing his screams. _

_Not a moment too soon, the Hokage arrived on the scene with his Anbu guard. For a moment, the villagers thought they were safe, but Hiruzen shouted, "Anbu, kill them all. Anyone involved in this is to be put to death on the spot!"_

_The three Anbu each pulled out a ninjato and rushed at the villagers. The one with the Weasel mask weaved his way through the ignorant villagers, tearing limbs from bodies as he went. _

_The Dog masked Anbu charged his blade with lightning chakra and tore through the civilians like paper. He had even gone so far as to use his blade to skewer three civilians in the head when they tried to flee the area._

_Anko threw her kunai to the side and pulled out a pair of whisper knives. She rushed back into the battle, tearing through civilians left and right. In her eyes, they were all guilty and deserved to die._

_The Anbu wearing the Dolphin mask cut through the villagers with his poison laced blade. Those who weren't dead from the blade wounds were forced to die a slower and even more painful death._

_By the time that it was over, the street was littered with blood and dead bodies. The Weasel Anbu, using a large fire jutsu, destroyed the bodies while the Hokage washed away the blood with a water jutsu. _

_He then turned to Anko, who had finally come out of her rage, and said "I'm sorry, Anko. If it makes you feel any better, Cairo hid Naruto away before any of this happened. Naruto is still safely hidden." _

_That one comforting moment was ruined when Anbu Neko appeared. "Hokage-sama, I have terrible news. When I found Naruto-kun, there was a strange seal over his heart. He doesn't remember anything about the last seven years. He…doesn't even remember his own brother."_

_Hiruzen frowned and wiped his brow. "Can the seal be removed?"_

_Neko shook her head in defeat. "The only way to remove the seal is to have the sealer undo it or to have him shatter it on his own. If anyone else tampers with the seal, it will destroy his mind and heart. It pains me to say this, but the Naruto-kun we all know and love is lost to us."_

_The only thing that Anko could do right at the moment was curl into a ball and start crying for the ones she lost. _

Flashback end…

Anko finally released him and said, "How are you two still alive? What about the other three kids?"

Raven gripped her friend's shoulder and said, "We spent six years traveling the nations as well as the lands beyond the mist. As for the other three, they're her in the village. They were the team that Cairo led in."

Anko looked at Cairo and said, "How did you become a Kage? I thought you had to at least be eighteen to become a Kage."

Cairo chuckled and said, "Age doesn't matter when you build a village from the ground up. I spent a year building Kagegakure, and the people felt fit to name me their leader. Also, the Sandaime was only a Chūnin when he was made the Hokage."

Raven nodded and said, "Our village has flourished under his reign. Cairo has proved time and again that he deserves to be our Yamikage."

Anko just shook her head and said, "That's a lot to take in, but I'm so glad that you're both alive. Naruto's going to be surprised when he finds out."

Cairo just chuckled and said, "He already knows about me being alive, but he doesn't know everything about Kagegakure. I'm going to have to ask you not to say anything until after I talk to him."

Anko let out a small nod in understanding and said, "We should get back to the tower."

Cairo just nodded to Raven, who then used her chakra raven to take them back.

Tower…

Just as Anko and company arrived, Kabuto Yakushi was about to drop out of the exams. A brief signal from Cairo told him to stay in and fight.

Cairo then turned to the monitor and watched the first two names appear on the screen. The proctor, Hayate Gekko, announced that the first match would be between Sasuke Uchiha and Yoroi Akado.

Somehow, the little emo managed to pull a win out of his hat. Kakashi was silently crying because he thought that Sasuke would lose. Hayate then called out that the next fight would be between Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno.

In the stands…

Kakashi looked at Asuma and said, "Do you think Ino has a chance of winning this?"

Asuma rounded on Kakashi and said, "Are you trying to say that Sakura has a chance of winning?"

Kakashi chuckled and said, "I'm only saying that Sakura has come a long way from her academy days…and I _**need**_ to stop lying to myself. That girl is about as useless as her forehead is big."

Kakashi looked down to see that Ino and Sakura had knocked each other out. A female voice then said, "Such a disappointment."

Kakashi looked over his shoulder and saw that Jeanne was watching the fight. She then said, "Those two are absolutely pathetic. I hope this isn't the best that Konoha has to offer."

Kakashi just sighed and said, "Luckily for us, they're not. I've tried to teach that girl on multiple occasions, but she refuses to do anything other than watch Sasuke train. That girl is an insult to kunoichi everywhere."

Jeanne nodded and said, "Look at the board, Kakashi. Naruto is fighting next."

As they looked at the screen, it read that Naruto was fighting Kiba Inuzuka."

As Kiba jumped into the arena, he looked at Akamaru and said, "We got the easiest match, Akamaru. There's no way that we can lose this one."

Naruto just shook his head and _**shunshined **_down to the floor. He then looked at Kiba and said, "I want you to pay attention, Kiba. When this match starts, you're finished."

Kiba just scoffed and said, "Don't act so cocky, punk. Did you forget that you were the dobe in our academy days? I don't have anything against you Naruto, but you don't stand a chance against me."

Naruto laughed and said, "Proctor, start the match so that I can put this mutt in his place."

Hayate just sighed and said, "This is honestly gonna be _**so**_ one-sided. Let the match between Naruto and Kiba of Konoha begin!"

In the stands before the match…

Kurenai Yuhi walked over to Kakashi and said, "I hate to say it Kakashi, but Naruto doesn't stand a chance against Kiba."

Kakashi turned to her and said "What makes you believe that Kiba will win this match?"

The black haired Jonin looked at him and responded, "Naruto was the dead last of his class. There's no way he can beat my student."

Jeanne looked Kurenai over and said, "You don't know how wrong you are about him. Naruto will win this without getting as much as a scratch."

Kurenai grimaced and said, "I don't know who you are, but you are overestimating that boy's skills."

Jeanne just laughed and said, "We'll see about that soon enough, won't we Kurenai-san."

Arena…

Kiba set Akamaru down and said, "Sit this one out, buddy. I won't need any help with him."

He then tried to rush Naruto in a head on attack, but Naruto made a hand sign and said, "**Ninjutsu: Kagegakure no jutsu**."

Suddenly, the entire room went pitch black. A moment later, three loud smacks and a loud scream was heard, followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor.

As the darkness receded, everyone saw that Kiba was laid out on the floor, and Naruto was staring at him. Hayate checked Kiba and said; "I so called that one. Winner by knockout: Naruto!"

Naruto then jumped up to the stands as medics carried Kiba off.

Stands…

Kurenai couldn't believe what had just happened. Kakashi looked at her and said, "Just because he was the dead last in the academy, doesn't mean that he's one in real life. Academy titles don't amount to a squirrel fart in the real world."

As he walked off to congratulate his student on his match, he saw that Sasuke got to Naruto first. Sasuke grabbed his shirt and said, "What was that jutsu and why couldn't I copy it?"

Naruto grabbed his hand and said, "Cairo was right about you, Uchiha. You're nothing but a greedy child who steals from those who work at what they do. If you must know, that was the Hidden Shadow technique. It's a jutsu that can only be learned in Kagegakure."

Naruto tried to walk off, but Sasuke barred his path and said, "As an elite Uchiha, I order you to tell me the location of this place."

Naruto laughed and said, "I'd buy the Platinum Ticket and give it to Rodin before I reveal the location of the Shadow village. Sadly for you, I don't know how to get there. You'd have to ask my brother about that."

Sasuke then said, "You _will_ make your brother tell me the location of the Shadow Village."

Kakashi then grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and said, "Naruto doesn't answer to you, Sasuke. Also, good work on your match, Naruto. Did Cairo teach you that move?"

Naruto just nodded and said, "Of course. He also knew that Sasuke-teme would try to copy it, so he gave me this seal."

Naruto held out his left hand and revealed a strange seal. Naruto then said, "This seal prevents any sharingan from copying my jutsu. No offense to you or you-know-who, but Cairo hates the Sharingan with a living passion."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. While he never copied jutsus from his allies without their consent, he knew how it felt to have someone's hard work stolen from them. Naruto then looked at the screen and said, "Another match is starting."

As everyone turned to the screen, the next two names to appear were those of Blackfire and a random Iwa-nin. Hayate then shouted, "The next match will be Blackfire of Kage versus Tsuchi Gamari of Iwa."

Tsuchi looked at Blackfire and said, "Drop out now before I crush you, girlie."

Karina scoffed and said, "I'd never be afraid of a muscle bound idiot like you. I don't even think that I'll need to use my kekkei genkai to win."

The moment Hayate started the match, Tsuchi slammed his hand on the ground and said, "**Earth style: mud slide**."

A river of mud started to flow at Blackfire, but she jumped to the side and said, "**Lightning style: falcon's parade**."

A swarm of blue falcons charged at Tsuchi and hit him head on. The last thing that the Iwa-nin said before hitting the ground was, "I guess I was wrong about you, girl…Blackfire-san. If we ever fight again, I won't measure you so…poorly."

Hayate then shouted, "Winner by knockout: Blackfire."

As Blackfire jumped into the stands, Cairo appeared and said, "Well done, Karina. I was very impressed with your match."

Blackfire just nodded and said, "I'm just glad that I could knock some sense into that guy. The world needs more idiots like it needs Sasuke Uchiha."

Cairo just nodded and walked over to see the Hokage. He then said, "I need to take Naruto with me for the duration of the preliminaries."

Sarutobi looked down at him and said, "Normally, I wouldn't be allowed to do this. However, he has completed his match and you've explained the severity of the situation."

Cairo just nodded his thanks and flashed over to Naruto and Kakashi. He then put a hand on Naruto's shoulder and said, "I hope you don't mind me taking your student, Kakashi. I have something important to take care of."

Kakashi just nodded and said, "I'll make sure to get his number for the finals. What about your team?"

Cairo just looked at his team and nodded. He then turned to Kakashi and said, "I've got it covered. They knew about this ever since the Wave mission."

Cairo then gently squeezed his brother's shoulder, and they both vanished in a silver flash. They reappeared next to the Hokage and said, "I've already sent word to Hiashi-dono, Itachi, and Kisame. They'll be here shortly."

Hiruzen just nodded as Cairo and Naruto vanished. He somehow knew in his heart that they would pull through.

Undisclosed location…

Naruto and Cairo suddenly appeared in a large room with a large seal covering the floor. Naruto then noticed that there were three people in the room.

The first was Hiashi Hyuga, head of the Hyūga clan. The other two were Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki. Cairo then said, "Naruto, take off your shirt and sit down on the seal. Itachi, I need you and Hiashi to take your places. Kisame, I need you to do the kage bunshin no jutsu and stand behind Itachi and Hiashi."

As everyone took their places, the light from the full moon shone through the room. Cairo then said, "The moon has risen. We must begin, immediately!"

Naruto looked up to his brother and said, "What in hell is going on here, Cairo?"

Cairo just looked at his brother and said, "Once I discovered that kaa-chan was still alive, I've been devising a way to split her from the Kyūbi and free her from the seal."

He then activated his Rinnegan and said, "I, Cairo Hashira Uzumaki and wielder of the Rinnegan, hereby call upon the spirit of the Rikudo Sennin to guide my actions."

Hiashi activated his Byakugan and said, "I, Hiashi Hyūga and wielder of the Byakugan, hereby call upon the spirit of the Rikudo Sennin to guide my actions."

Itachi then activated his Sharingan and said, "I, Itachi Uchiha and wielder of the Sharingan, hereby call upon the spirit of the Rikudo Sennin to guide my actions."

There was a brief pause of silence before the seals started to glow red. Cairo then shouted, "We, the wielders of the Eyes of the Trinity, call upon the ancient powers to separate these two spirits!"

The seals then started to close in on Naruto, causing him to scream out in pain. As Cairo, Itachi, and Hiashi poured their chakra into the seal, Kisame fed his chakra to Itachi and Hiashi.

Cairo then shouted, "We three recognize this union to be one brought on in a state of duress. The two parties involved have requested a mutual separation that has been validated. Under the Eyes of the Trinity, let this union be broken!"

Almost instantly, a blue chakra tore itself from Naruto's seal, causing him to scream out again. The chakra then fell to the ground, and formed itself into a female shape. Cairo then made a final handsign, causing Naruto to pass out and the blue chakra to take on a female appearance.

As he looked at Hiashi and Itachi, he noticed that they were both exhausted. He then looked at Kisame, who was suffering from chakra depletion and said, "We did it, guys. The separation was a success."

Those were his last words before he let sleep take him into its embrace. As he fell to the ground, a small smile graced his features for lying between him and his brother was the unconscious form of their mother. Lying between them…was Kushina Uzumaki.


	10. 9: Preliminary Matches part 2

A Brother's Return

Ch.9

Speaking: normal.

Thoughts, flashbacks, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, Kushina would still be living.

As the prelims of the Chunnin Exams continued on, Hayate called the next match. He looked to the screen and said, "The next match will be between Kabuto Yakushi of Konoha and Garfield Logan of Kage."

Kabuto watched as Beast Boy flipped over the railings and landed in the arena. He then jumped down and said, "Let's make this quick. I've got something that needs to be done and our _**mutual friend**_ doesn't need to be kept waiting."

Beast Boy just nodded and said, "I just hope you're ready to go down."

Hayate then called the match to a start, prompting Kabuto to activate his **chakra no mesu**. Beast Boy looked at his technique and said, "Who in high Heaven did I piss off to be put against a medic-nin?"

Heaven…

Kami, Yami, and Shinigami were all laughing at the green boy's situation. They were only doing this out of boredom and a sadistic sense of humor.

Arena…

Mark and Kabuto had been trading blows for almost an hour when Mark overstepped an attack. Kabuto quickly took advantage of the situation by slicing through Mark's right Achilles' tendon.

He then swiftly sliced through other muscle tendons until Mark couldn't even twitch correctly. Once he was finished, he looked Mark over and said, "Now that you can't move, your kekkei genkai is useless. Your transformations won't save you."

As Beast Boy heard this, he smirked and said, "I wouldn't be so sure of that. I do have one transformation that I was saving for a special occasion, but you've forced me to play it early."

Kabuto quickly jumped back as Mark was surrounded by a gold light. The light grew brighter and brighter until it engulfed the room. Once it cleared, Beast Boy was on his feet again.

What was strange was that a pair of red and gold wings was protruding from his back. Everyone also noticed that long red and gold feathers were coming out of the spot where his tailbone would be.

Stands…

Blackfire laughed as she watched her teammate. Temari, who had earlier won her match, looked at her and said, "What's so funny?"

Karina looked at the blond girl and said, "Kabuto-san has just lost this match. That is Garfield's ultimate form. A form like that can only be learned by being blessed be the master of the **Phoenix Contract**. Only two people have been seen in this form."

Temari looked down at Garfield and said, "If he's one, who was the other?"

Blackfire pointed at her hitai-ate and said, "Our leader, the Yamikage, is the only other person to be truly blessed by the Phoenix clan."

Arena…

Mark looked at Kabuto and said, "It's over."

He then vanished in a burning flash, only to reappear behind Kabuto. As Kabuto turned around, Garfield punched him with a fire encased fist. Kabuto slid to the other side of the arena before getting back up.

Beast Boy quickly noticed that Kabuto's wounds were quickly healing. Mark then jumped into the air and said, "I can't hold this from for long, but I can finish this."

With that, he surrounded Kabuto in a tower of flames. Within moments, the medic-nin passed out from the heat. As Beast Boy's phoenix mode ended, the fire extinguished itself.

Hayate checked over Kabuto and said, "Winner by knockout: Beast Boy."

As Mark walked up the side of the wall, the screen came to life again. Hayate then shouted, "The next fighters will be Hinata Hyūga and Neji Hyūga of Konoha."

As the two Hyūga jumped into the arena, Neji faced Hinata and said, "Give up now, Hinata-sama. Fate has declared me the winner of this match."

Meanwhile in Heaven…

The goddess of Fate looked down on Neji and said, "**I never declared that boy as the winner of anything**.**Just for that, I think I'll have Hinata smack some sense into his head**."

Kami looked at her sister and said, "**How are you going to do that? It's not like you can just go down there, possess the girl, and beat up her cousin**."

Fate looked down at Naruto, who had earlier woke up and returned to the arena, and said, "**I think I have an idea that should work in both of our favors**."

Fate then whispered in her hand and waved it at Naruto.

Arena…

Naruto almost jumped over the rails and killed Neji when he felt a strange feeling wash over him. While most people wouldn't have noticed anything, Kakashi had felt the strange presence before and knew that Naruto was possessed.

Before the Jonin could react, Naruto looked at him and said, "I'm not going to hurt your ward or anyone else. I'm only using him to get my message across."

Kakashi nodded and said, "If you double-cross me and try anything, I just so happen to have a friend who can make your afterlife a living Hell."

Naruto smirked as he jumped into the arena and strolled over to Hinata. Just as Hayate was about to protest, Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and pulled her into a full blown kiss.

Almost a minute later, he pulled back and said, "Do not doubt your abilities, Hinata-chan. You are a hard worker and a strong kunoichi. I know you can win this, Hinata-chan."

Hinata's thoughts were racing at a mile a minute. The one thought that stood out the most was, "_Naruto-kun believes in me. He believes that I can win. I can't let him down!_"

Hinata then pulled away from Naruto and said, "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Neji looked at Naruto and said, "You're a fool if you believe that she can win. She's nothing more than a weak child trying to be a shinobi."

Hinata looked down at the floor and said, "Neji nii-san, I think the time for words is over."

She then looked back up at Neji and gave him an evil glare while removing her headband from her neck. Neji watched on in silence as she placed it around her forehead.

As Naruto left the arena, Hayate regained his composure, and wiped a few tears away, before saying, "If there are no more interruptions, let the match begin."

Neji wasted no time in his attack. The moment he reached Hinata, he noticed that something was wrong. She had been matching him blow for blow. Neji then shouted, "How are you doing this? You should not be this strong."

Hinata just dodged another one of his blows and said, "You've been blinded by your own hatred, Neji. For so long, you've hated me for something that I had no control over. In short, you need to let go of the past."

Neji clenched his fist and said, "How dare you speak to me in that tone. I shall prove to you that I far surpass you. **Hakke: Rokujū Yōnsho!**"

Hinata held out her hands and said, "**Shūgo Hakke: Rokujū Yōnsho!**"

As Neji tried to strike his cousin, she blocked his attack. The more he tried to strike her, the more she would block his hits. He soon noticed that she had fended off his attack without getting hit once.

Hinata then deactivated her Byakugan and said, "**Solar flare!**"

Neji reeled back as he was temporarily blinded by her attack. Hinata then moved in and said, "You are now within the range of _**my**_ divination. **Hakke: Sanjū Ni shō**."

Hinata pelted Neji with an onslaught of attacks. When her attack ended, Neji fell to the ground. He then said, "I don't understand it. How did you beat me?"

Hinata crouched down to him and said, "People believed in you because you are a genius. However, the underdogs are the ones who shine brighter when they succeed. Also, I know you might be wondering why I never tried to use the caged bird seal against you."

Neji nodded and said, "You've had countless chances to use it during our fight. What made you decide against it?"

Hinata just chuckled and said, "Neji, I didn't use the seal because I _can't_ use it. When the elders tried to make me learn it, I blatantly refused them. I hate that damned seal and I hate what it's done to our family."

Neji just nodded and said, "Call the match, proctor-san. I resign to defeat."

Hayate smiled and said, "Winner by forfeit: Hinata."

He then looked at Neji and said, "A caged bird, when it truly desires freedom, will learn to pick at the lock until it opens. Once it does, the bird will take flight and come to know freedom."

As Hinata walked back to the stands, she was greeted by Shino who said, "That was impressive, Hinata-san. Naruto-san was right about you. You are indeed a strong kunoichi."

Kurenai nodded and said, "It's true. You've gotten so much stronger. Also, when you next talk to Naruto, tell him that I was wrong about him. I was always taught to never judge a book by its cover and I did that to him without a second thought. I can only hope to earn his forgiveness."

Unbeknownst to them, Naruto's hyper sensitive ears picked up on their conversation. He let out a small smile as he heard what Kurenai said about him.

He then looked at Gaara and scowled. The blonde had seen what the redhead did to Lee, and was thankful that Gai-sensei made it in time. If he hadn't, Gaara would've crushed Lee's arm and leg.

When asked why he would interfere, Gai simply stated, "This boy is a precious person of mine who dreams of being a talented shinobi, and I'll be damned if I let you take that away from him."

He swore to himself that if he and Gaara faced each other, he'd make the redhead pay. He then watched as the last match was called. The final competitors were Starfire and Dama Gamari.

Kakashi…

Kakashi walked over to the Kage team and said, "Have any of you seen Cairo? He's missing the fights."

Blackfire just waved it off and said, "Don't worry about it. Cairo-sama isn't here because he had something to take care of."

Kakashi just nodded and said, "It's such a shame that he's missing this."

There was a black flash behind Kakashi that turned out to be Raven. She then walked past the white haired man and said, "Cairo-sama isn't missing anything. He has a watcher placed on the Hokage's shoulder."

Sure enough, there was a small bat with the Rinnegan on Hiruzen's left shoulder. Kakashi nodded and said, "Well then, good luck with your match Kori-san."

Arena…

Hayate looked to the screen and said, "The final match: Starfire of Kage versus Dama Gamari of Iwa."

As the final combatants jumped down, Dama looked at Kori and said, "I'm not like my brother. He was too stupid to see power before it hit him in the face. I, however, won't be underestimating you."

Kori just nodded and said, "While I appreciate you taking me seriously, you will still lose this match."

Hayate then called the start of the match, causing the two gennin to jump back. Dama took the initiative by calling, "**Earth style: Massive quake!**"

As he slammed his foot on the ground, the entire room shook. Kori used chakra to steady herself and said, "**Ninjutsu: Kagegakure no jutsu**."

Once again, the room was engulfed in darkness. Starfire's voice then called out, "**Lightning style: Subsonic tracker**."

A loud scream was then heard, followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor. When the darkness cleared, Dama was out cold on the ground. Hayate then shouted, "Winner of the final match: Starfire."

Meanwhile…

Cairo and Kushina were currently in one of the rooms of the tower, where Tsunade was checking them over their unconscious forms and Itachi was guarding them. She then turned to Itachi and said, "Cairo will wake up in about another hour. Kushina, however, should be up within a matter of minutes."

Itachi just nodded and said, "I still can't believe that the seal was a success."

A feminine voice then said, "That's because it was no ordinary seal. You've just done your first ritual."

The two ninja turned to the door where Bayonetta was currently standing. She then entered the room and said, "That was a ritual that you just did."

Itachi looked at her and said, "I'm sorry but who are you?"

Bayonetta just chuckled and said, "My name is Cereza, but everyone knows me by the name Bayonetta. I'm part of the reason that Cairo is so strong. I was one of his many teachers."

Itachi nodded at this and said, "It's still kind of a shock that I helped perform a spell."

It was at that moment that Kushina started to stir. She sat up on her bed and said, "Where am I? Why am I out of the seal?"

Tsunade pulled up to her side and said, "Lay back down, Kushina. You're in for a long story."

Exams…

Hiruzen stepped forward and said, "This concludes the second portion of the Chunnin Exams. You are to report to the stadium in one month for the finals."

Shino stepped forward and asked, "Why are we waiting for a month? Wouldn't it be better to finish it now?"

The Hokage shook his head and said, "There will be feudal lords coming in from all over to watch you compete. It also gives you some time to practice new moves for the finals. Now, if everyone would be so kind as to draw a number."

After everyone had drawn, Hayate shouted, "The first rounds will be as follows: Naruto vs. Dosu, Shino vs. Kankuro, Sasuke vs. Gaara, Temari vs. Shikamaru, Blackfire vs. Hinata, and Starfire vs. Beast Boy. You all have one month, so don't waste it."

Naruto walked to Kakashi and said, "Will you be training me, sensei?"

Kakashi just shook his head and said, "I wish that I was, Naruto. Sadly, I've been given the task of training the Uchiha."

He then pulled out a scroll and said, "I will, however, give you a special jutsu to learn. With your creativity, you might even be able to do it one better."

Naruto just nodded and said, "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei. I'll find a way to put this to good use."

At that moment, Konan appeared and said, "Naruto-sama, you are to come with me at once."


	11. 10: Inevitable War means Time to Train!

A Brother's Return

Ch.10

Speaking: normal.

Thoughts, flashbacks, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, Ichiraku Ramen would be a franchise.

Kakashi looked at the woman and said, "Aren't you the woman from over a month ago?"

Konan gave a small nod and said, "Nagato-kun wishes to oversee Naruto-sama's training for the finals."

Kakashi just nodded and said, "Promise me that you will take care of him. Naruto is like a little brother to me, so you can imagine what I'd do if something bad were to happen to him."

Konan stared him down and said, "I'm glad to see that he has someone like you in his life, Kakashi-san."

She would've continued, but Kakashi said, "You should get going before my idiot of a student shows up."

Luck, however, was not on her side at that moment. As soon as she and Naruto turned to leave, Sasuke showed up and said, "Why are you in our village? Where is Itachi?"

Konan glared down at him and said, "I am here for my own reasons, boy. Also, as I've said before, Itachi doesn't have time to be bothered by you. We need to get going, Naruto."

Elsewhere…

Four figures stood together in a dimly lit room. The shortest figure, a redhead, said, "Let me teach him the art of ninja puppetry. Even if he doesn't use them, the skill can be very useful."

The figure beside him, a blond, replied, "It would be better to let me teach him. That boy's wild streak combined with my explosives would make for a wild performance, yeah."

The tallest figure of the room, a man with blue skin and hair, laughed and said, "That would pretty funny to watch, but I think that I should be the one to teach him. We're both blade users, and I can teach him our old fighting style."

Nagato just sighed and said, "That's enough out of you three. As I've said before, I will be training him for the next month. You idiots will get your chance another time."

Kushina…

As Kushina processed what was said to her, she was suddenly relieved that she was on a bed. She then turned to Cairo and moved the hair out of his face. As she moved down to kiss him on the forehead, a voice called out "M-mom?"

Kushina quickly turned to the door and saw that Naruto and Konan were walking in. She then nodded and said, "I know what you're thinking, Naruto. I've been separated from the Kyūbi. I'm actually free."

Naruto just sat down and said, "I can't believe that Cairo managed that. I would wait for him to wake up, but Konan and I need to get going."

Konan placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, and the two of them vanished in a flurry of paper flowers.

Elsewhere…

Cairo's team was currently waiting at the gates when Raven came up to them and said, "Cairo will be with us in a moment. They're still waiting on him to wake up."

Blackfire rolled her eyes and said, "Sometimes, it's hard to believe that he's our leader."

A voice behind her said, "And here I thought that I was doing a great job."

Karina jumped out of her skin as her Kage and his mother were standing right behind her. As she tried to sputter out an apology, Cairo just said, "I'm just joking, Blackfire."

He then turned to Kushina and said, "I'll be seeing you in a month, kaa-chan. Take care of Naruto for me."

She just nodded and watched as they all faded into nothing. She then sought out Itachi in hopes that he could lead her to Nagato.

Meanwhile…

Naruto and Konan reappeared in the middle of a temple that resided in the valley of a mountain range. As he took in the beautiful scenery, a voice called out, "We meet at last, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto turned around and saw a man with spiky orange hair staring at him. The man then said, "Come with me, Naruto-kun. I wish to speak with you, face to face."

He then walked into the temple while being followed by the other two. As they entered a large room, Naruto saw a man with short, red hair hooked up to a weird machine.

The man looked up and said, "Uzumaki Naruto, do you know who I am?"

Naruto nodded and said, "You're my uncle, Nagato."

The redhead nodded and said, "That is correct. I am Uzumaki Nagato, the brother of Kushina. I can tell that you're wondering why I am hooked to this machine."

Naruto slowly nodded and said, "It's to help you control the _Pein Rikudo_, isn't it?"

Nagato chuckled and said, "You are a bright child. During my childhood, I used a jutsu that my body wasn't ready to perform. It dealt me a heavy toll. Now, only Tsunade-sama could heal me. Sadly, no one knows where she is."

Naruto just shook his head and said, "She's currently working at the hospital in Konoha. Maybe I can get her to look at you."

Nagato smiled at his nephew and said, "Thank you, Naruto-kun. There may be hope for me after all."

The spiky haired Pein turned to Naruto and said, "It is time to begin your training. Konan has told me of your unnatural ability to learn and master things in a short time."

Naruto nodded and said, "I've always been like that."

Pein stared him down and said, "Seeing how that is the case, I'm going to use the next month to put you through my version of hell. I won't lie to you, Naruto-kun. This training will be intense, and you _will_ die if you don't put your all into it. Knowing this, are you still willing to train under me?"

Naruto just steeled his resolve and said, "I'm not about to back down, Nagato ji-san."

Shikamaru…

Shikamaru had just managed to sneak out of the house without Yoshino catching him. He then went to find Asuma, who was at the gates to the village. Asuma looked down at him and said, "I won't be able to train you for the finals. Something's come up that requires my urgent attention."

Shikamaru sighed and said, "If you're not training me, what am I supposed to do?"

Asuma took a drag on his cigarette and said, "I already took care of that. Your trainer will be here soon."

Suddenly, a large black bird made of chakra appeared in the sky. When it landed, the chakra vanished. The bird was actually Raven Roth, jonin of the Shadow Village. She looked at Asuma and said, "The kid doesn't look like much. I'm only doing this as a favor to my leader."

Asuma nodded and said, "Good luck, lady. He can be pretty lazy."

Starfire and Blackfire…

Kagegakure no Sato was truly a wonderful village. It was larger than life, ran smoothly, and barely ever had fights to break out. That, however, is not where our attention is pointed.

Kori Anders and her sister were currently destroying a training field during a spar when they were approached by Nyiome. She looked at them and said, "Pack your gear, ladies. We're going on a little trip."

Starfire halted her last punch and said, "Where are we going, Nyiome-san?"

Nyiome smiled and said, "You'll see."

Beast Boy…

Garfield was in the middle of a mock sword fight with his teacher when they were interrupted by someone clapping. They looked to the door of the dojo to see their leader standing in the entryway. The white haired man said, "It's been a while since I've seen you, Cairo-sama."

Cairo just chuckled and said, "I'm sure it has, Dante. I hope you don't mind if I take your student for the next month."

Dante shook his head and said, "I don't mind at all. I've got to get to Iron Country and won't be back until the finals, anyways."

Cairo smiled and said, "I hope to see you there, man. Let's go, Mark. I've got something special to teach you."

As he walked out, he turned back to Dante and said, "Get your squad ready to move out in a month and tell Shiroso to have the gates ready to open on my signal. Kabuto has recently informed me that Orochimaru's planning an invasion on the Konoha. We're gonna give that freak a rude shock."

Hinata…

The normally shy Hyuga was currently sparring against both her father and cousin at the same time. Once they were finished, Hiashi placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "I don't know what caused this change in you, but I'm glad to see that you're becoming stronger. I also want to apologize for all of the strife I've given you. I know I don't deserve forgiveness, but I will do everything I can to make things right."

Hinata pulled her father into a hug and said, "You don't have to apologize, tou-san. I'm not angry with you."

A voice then said, "As much as I hate to break up such a warm scene, I need to speak with you two."

Hiashi knew that voice. It could only belong to one person. He looked up to be met by a view of fiery red hair. Hiashi walked past Hinata and said, "Kushina-chan. H-how are you alive? I-I t-thought you died over thirteen years ago."

Kushina grasped Hiashi's hand and said, "We have a lot to talk about, Hiashi-kun. First, I'd like to train Hinata for the finals."

Hinata looked to her father and said, "Tou-san, who is this person?"

Hiashi pulled his daughter forward and said, "This is Naruto's mother, Uzumaki Kushina. She wants to train you for the finals."

Hinata's mind slowly processed what her father just told her. By the time she sorted everything out in her head, she did the only thing that she could think of. She passed out.

Kushina caught her and said, "She reminds me so much of Hitomi-chan."

Hokage's office…

Hiruzen was once again dealing with paperwork, the bane of every Kage in existence. No matter how much he got done, it kept piling up. As he was about to give up, his intercom went off. "Sarutobi-sama, you have a visitor," called Yoshino.

Sarutobi pressed the button on his speaker and said, "Thank you, Yoshino-san. Send him in."

The door to his office opened and Cairo walked in. He was about to greet him, but he noticed that Cairo had a menacing look in his eyes.

Cairo looked around the office and tossed a kunai into a bookshelf before saying, "You've got three seconds to leave this office. I only give warning shots when I'm feeling merciful and my mercy is running low."

Three of Danzo's Anbu quickly evacuated the room as the fourth one fell over dead. Cairo then turned to the Hokage and said, "Call Jiraiya back and assemble the war council. This village is in for trouble."

Sarutobi sighed and said, "How do you suppose we call him back?"

Cairo gave him an astounded look. "Oh, for the love of…he's your student and you don't even know how to summon him! Pay close attention to what I'm about to do."

Cairo walked to the window and said, "Attention Konoha, there's a wet bikini contest at the 'Silver Waters' hot springs in five minutes!"

Almost immediately, a white haired man appeared on a large toad. He then proudly shouted, "Show me the ladies!"

Sadly for him, a woman heard him and shouted, "Get the pervert!"

After escaping the mob of angry women, Jiraiya made his way to the Hokage's office. He walked in and said, "There isn't any contest. Is there?"

Cairo shook his head and said, "Just be glad that I didn't arrange for that to be at the 'Blue Sun' hot springs. It's Tsunade's day off."

Jiraiya cringed and said, "Why did you call me back so soon, sensei?" Sarutobi turned to his student and said, "I wasn't the one who called you. It was Cairo-kun who summoned you back."

Cairo looked up and said, "I'll explain everything in the war room."

Moments later…

As the war room was filled in, Hiruzen made his way into the room. Jiraiya and Cairo were right behind him. Sarutobi then took his position and said, "My fellow shinobi, I have called you here today because there is something that you all must hear."

Cairo then stepped up and said, "For those of you who don't know me, I'm the Yamikage. I'm here today because I have discovered something important."

A random jonin stood up and said, "What could be worse than Orochimaru being in the village?"

Cairo shook his head and said, "That's what I want to speak to you all about. Orochimaru is planning an invasion during the finals of the exams."


	12. 11: Let the Finals Begin!

A Brother's Return

Ch.11

Speaking: normal.

Thoughts, flashbacks, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, Guren would've never worked for Orochimaru.

As Cairo and Sarutobi made their plans to take down Orochimaru, the Elders had summoned the civilian council. Danzo took the initiative and said, "I have gathered you here to discuss a certain matchup for the Chūnin Exams. I refuse to let the last loyal Uchiha go against that monster of a child."

A pink haired woman nodded and said, "I have a suggestion, Danzo-sama. Why don't we switch Sasuke-sama and the demon child's matches around? That way, there'll be a chance of us getting rid of the Kyūbi once and for all."

Homura nodded at this and said, "That is an excellent idea, Sayuri-san. If Sarutobi won't let us have it as a weapon, we might as well dispose of it."

Koharu stood up and said, "All in favor of changing the matches?"

Everyone except for one man raised their hands. Sayuri looked at the man and said, "Why would you be against this, Higurashi-san?"

Dustin Higurashi, a man of 37 years old, rose from his seat and said, "I object because you're all a bunch of idiots. I was one of the Yondaime's best friends before he died and I know that he was on par with Master Jiraiya in sealing jutsu. You people have no faith in the Yondaime, and I refuse to feel sorry for you once the shit hits the fan. Also, my daughter Tenten has been friends with Naruto-san for years. She would've noticed if he was a demon."

Danzo calmly looked at Dustin and said, "While I respect your opinion, Higurashi-san, I must ask you to hold your tongue. That boy is a menace to this village. If he can't be controlled, he'll have to be put down."

Homura then stood up and said, "With a majority vote, the matches will be changed. This meeting is adjourned."

As the elders smugly walked out of the room, none of them noticed the smirk on Dustin's face. He looked under his chair and said, "I assume you heard all of that."

The only response was a small snake slithering away.

One month later…

As the stadium filled in with spectators from all over, Hiruzen silently chuckled to himself. He had been told of Danzo's twisted plan, but laughed at his idiocy. As he sat alone in the Kage's box, he thought to himself, "_Those idiots only gave Naruto-kun even more of a chance to show off today. That_would_be the case if I hadn't switched the matches back. Danzo, you're even dumber than I remembered._"

Suddenly, the Kazekage and Yamikage filed into the Kage's box with their guards following. Sarutobi smiled and said, "Greetings, Kazekage-dono and Yamikage-dono."

The Kazekage nodded and Cairo, wearing his mask, warmly shook Sarutobi's hand. He then turned to the Kazekage and said, "How was your trip, Kazekage-dono? I know that the deserts can be quite harsh."

The Kazekage shook his head and said, "After so many years, I've grown used to it."

Cairo nodded but was thinking, "_That's a lie if I ever heard one, Orochimaru-teme_."

Sarutobi turned to Cairo and said, "How do you think your gennin will do, Yamikage-dono?"

Cairo let out a chuckle and said, "I'm not worried about my students. After all, I handpicked them for this exam."

The Kazekage turned to Sarutobi and said, "I for one want to see the Uchiha perform. I look forward to seeing him fight my son."

The three Kages suddenly turned their attention to the arena where the fighters were filing in.

Arena floor…

Genma Shiranui looked at his watch and noticed that it was almost time to start. As his attention turned to the gennin, he only saw four. He was about to call for a time pause, but stopped when he saw a shadow rise from the ground.

When the shadow vanished, Shikamaru was standing in its place. The only thing different about his outfit was a grey cloak and pair of trench knives.

Next to him, a spout of water shot up until it formed a solid shape. The water then fell away, revealing Hinata.

Genma was about to speak up but two bolts of green and purple lightning struck the ground. The lightning then faded away to reveal Starfire and Blackfire.

Karina pulled out a scroll and opened it, showing the kanji for 'summon'. She then tossed the scroll on the ground, causing it to explode. When the smoke cleared, Beast Boy stood up from his crouching position.

Genma recounted the gennin and said, "There are still only ten of you here. Does anyone know where Naruto Uzumaki, Dosu Kinuta, and Sasuke Uchiha are?"

Karina looked to the sky and said, "I don't know about the Uchiha and Dosu, but Naruto-sama will be here soon."

Genma shook his head and said, "I like the kid, but I can't play favorites."

He would've continued, but the sound of thunder suddenly filled the air. Karina smirked and said, "That would be Naruto-sama's doing."

Everyone watched as storm clouds rolled in, turning the sky dark. The clouds then circled in on themselves, and a single lightning bolt shot out of the center. When the bolt touched down to earth, it left a large crater.

As the smoke from the blast cleared, Naruto levitated himself out of the crater. Genma waved the dust from his face and said, "Nice intro, kid. That was the most impressive thing I've seen so far."

Naruto chuckled and said, "You'd be surprised at what a month of training can do for a person like me. I'm here to win this thing."

At that moment, a random jonin walked up to Genma and whispered something in his ear. Genma turned to the crowd and said, "There will be a change in the venue. Due to the untimely death of Dosu Kinuta, Naruto Uzumaki automatically advances to the next round. As of now, the first match will be between Temari and Shikamaru. I must ask all others to vacate the arena."

As the other gennin left the area, Shikamaru and Temari pulled out their respective weapons. Genma wasted no time in starting the first match, causing the two fighters to jump away from each other.

Temari took the initiative and shouted, "**Futon: Daitoppa!**"

She then swung her giant fan, causing a windstorm that tore some of the trees out of the ground. Shikamaru jumped back and said, "**Ninjutsu: Shield of shadows!**"

He was quickly enshrouded in a bubble comprised of his shadow. When the wind died down, he dropped the shield and said, "**Futon: Kaze no Yaiba**."

He made a slashing motion with his trench knife, causing a blade of wind to fly at Temari. Temari closed her fan and used the metal side to block the attack. She then jumped up and used her fan as a glider when she saw Shikamaru's shadow extending towards her.

As she looked down, she saw that his shadow stopped before it could reach her. Temari floated back to the ground and said, "You almost had me with that last jutsu. It's just a shame that I like to think three moves ahead of my opponents."

Shikamaru just smirked and said, "If you were as smart as you say, you would've stayed on your fan. It would've been harder to catch you in the air, seeing as how I can't connect my shadow to an object in the air. The moment you landed back on the ground, your growing shadow connected with mine."

He then moved his head down, forcing Temari to look at their connected shadows. Shikamaru looked back up and said, "I feel like I should mention that my shadows reach farther than you think they do. I basically had you beat from the moment that the match started."

He then retracted his shadow and said, "I give up. I don't have the chakra to continue this fight."

Genma finally came out of his shock and said, "Winner: Temari."

As Shikamaru walked by Temari, he placed a small note into her hand. When she opened it, she was shocked to see that the note said 'checkmate'. Temari just smirked as she left the arena.

Genma waited until the ring was clear and called out, "Will Sasuke Uchiha and Sabaku no Gaara please enter the arena?"

Gaara used his **shunshin** to appear in the ring, but Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.

Kage booth…

Orochimaru, still in disguise, turned to Sarutobi and said, "Would it be possible to allow him an extra five minutes? After all, I'm sure that people would be sad that he won't be able to compete."

Cairo turned to the fake Suna-nin and said, "I call bull crap on that, Kazekage-dono. It doesn't matter who the pretentious little prick is. If this were an actual battlefield, such blatant disregard of punctuality could cost someone their life. He deserves to be disqualified."

Sarutobi whispered to his guard and said, "I have to agree with the Yamikage on this. Such favoritism cannot be shown just because of his clan. He will be disqualified."

Orochimaru kept his calm façade, but seethed on the inside. He made a small signal to cancel the invasion, but Kabuto only stared and gave a false nod. He had no intention of derailing Cairo's plan.

Arena…

Genma nodded at the messenger and said, "Because he is late for the exam, Sasuke Uchiha is hereby disqualified. Gaara wins by forfeit. Will Karina Anders and Hinata Hyuga step into the arena?"

Audience…

Sakura growled and said, "Why did they eliminate Sasuke-kun? He deserves to fight. It's Naruto-baka who should be disqualified."

Next to her, Ino sighed and said, "Shut up, Sakura. He was disqualified because he's not here. Imagine if this was a battle. His lateness could get someone killed."

Besides Ino, Kiba nodded his head and said, "The only thing that prick deserves is a good kick in the ass. I'm tired of him holding the fact that he's an Uchiha over us. If the Hokage wants to fail him, I support that decision."

Sakura looked at the dog-nin and said, "You're just mad that you lost to the weakest member of our team."

Kiba chuckled and said, "I'd agree with that if it was you who beat me, but Naruto's attack was in no way weak."

Chouji looked down from his seat and said, "By the way, how did he beat you?"

Kiba laughed and said, "After using that darkness jutsu, Naruto punched me three times and hit me on the spine with enough lightning to knock out a large animal. I'm still twitching from that last hit."

Neji looked up from his seat in front of Kiba and said, "Hinata-sama's match is starting. I hope she'll be alright."

Tenten looked at her teammate and said, "She'll be just fine, Neji."

Kiba turned to Tenten and said, "I don't know about that. I heard from Kurenai-sensei that the Yamikage personally picked and trained their team."

Neji suddenly went into a violent coughing fit. Kabuto, in his Anbu disguise, quickly used a medical jutsu to calm Neji down.

As the Hyuga passed out, Kabuto stopped his jutsu and said, "I'm a medical Anbu, so you don't have to worry about him. He should be just fine after a little rest. Now, let's watch the fight."

Arena…

Karina remembered the words of her sensei as she stared down Hinata. He had told her to use her bloodline and to not hold back.

As Genma started the match, they were interrupted by a flurry of leaves. When the leaves settled, Sasuke and Kakashi were standing in the center. Kakashi turned to Genma and asked, "Are we late?"

He was silently thinking, "_Please say yes. For the love of Kami-sama, tell me that we're late_."

Genma glared at Kakashi and said, "Due to your lateness, the Uchiha has been disqualified."

Sasuke scoffed and said, "You can't make me forfeit. I'm an Uchiha, and I should be able to fight regardless of how late I am."

Genma laughed and said, "Your match has already passed. The three Kages put it to a vote, and you were disqualified by a majority ruling. Funny enough, only the Kazekage voted in your favor. The Yamikage, however, was adamant on failing you."

Sasuke looked to the Kage booth and glared at the Yamikage. He then shouted, "What's the matter, Yamikage-san? Are you afraid that I'll hurt your weak little ninja?"

Cairo smirked at the Uchiha and said, "Why should my shinobi be afraid of one pathetic little gennin who can't even show up for an exam on time? The lazy Nara showed up on time and did it with respect. Also, to address a Kage with such disrespect is a sign of insubordination. I could have you dropped from the shinobi ranks if I wanted."

Sasuke would've said more, but Kakashi quickly intervened. He looked to Cairo and said, "I apologize for my student, sir. Regretfully, he takes after his father."

Cairo waved him off and said, "I'll accept your apology for now, Kakashi-san. Now, would you be so kind as to remove your idiot from the field? Everyone's waiting for the match to start, and my student is getting impatient."

Kakashi just nodded and dragged Sasuke to the stands. Genma, who was stifling a laugh, cleared his throat and said, "Let the match between Hinata and Blackfire begin!"

Blackfire jumped back and shouted, "**Lightning style: Monarch migration!**"

A swarm of lightning butterflies started to encircle Hinata. The Hyuga smirked and said, "**Hakkeshō: Kaiten!**"

Hinata quickly spun around, encasing herself in a spinning dome of chakra. The dome swiftly destroyed the butterflies on contact. As soon as Hinata stopped spinning though, she was blasted into the wall by a purple beam.  
>She then stood up and saw that Blackfire's hands were glowing.<p>

Karina smirked and said, "How do you like my _**Starbolt**_ kekkei genkai, Hinata? My clan can harness the power of the stars and turn it into energy attacks. I should also mention that it uses absolutely no chakra, therefore I can attack you for as long as it takes for me to win."

Hinata looked at Karina and said, "There aren't any stars out at the moment, Karina-san. How will you continue to attack me without your energy source?"

Blackfire laughed and said, "I never said that the stars had to be visible. Also, isn't the sun itself a giant star?"

Karina then unleashed a flurry of starbolts at Hinata, who had to push her limits to dodge all of the attacks. Hinata scowled and said, "It seems that I'm in for a harder fight than I thought. Sadly for you, I've been holding back my own secret technique."

Stands…

Everyone looked at Neji, who had finally woken up, hoping that he would have an answer. Neji looked down and said, "She was trained by Naruto-san's mother for the finals. I'm just as far in the dark as you are."

Kiba looked at his teammate and said, "I don't know what she's got planned, but I believe in her."

Shino nodded and said, "Hinata-san has truly come far."

Unknown to everyone, Shino was smiling under his collar.

Arena…

Hinata closed her eyes and started doing handsigns. Karina decided that she would give Hinata a moment to prepare herself. The Hyūga suddenly stopped and opened her eyes to the world.

Instead of their usual lavender, her eyes were now a stunning pink. Karina also noticed that her eyes resembled crystals. Hinata placed her hands at her sides and said, "**Suishōgan**."

Stands…

Neji was truly surprised at this revelation. He could only think, "_How did she manage to awaken those eyes? I thought they were only a Hyuga myth_."

Arena…

Hinata eyed Karina and thought, "_I can only use these for fifteen minutes so I have to end this now_."

She looked at Blackfire and said, "You should be honored, Karina-san. You're the first opponent that I've used this attack on, even if I haven't mastered it."

She then started to pump chakra into her fists to the point where it became visible. The chakra covered her entire fists before taking the appearance of two growling lions. Karina used her bloodline to cover her fists with Starbolt energy. Hinata then charged forward while shouting, "**Gentle step: Twin Lion Fists!**"

Stands…

Neji looked at Hinata in surprise. Tenten looked at her teammate and said, "Why do you look so surprised, Neji-kun?"

Neji shook off his shock and said, "That is the most dangerous technique that Hinata-sama has in her arsenal, but I thought that it was incomplete. Blackfire-san will have her hands full if that technique is completed."

Kiba then asked, "What's so dangerous about it?"

Neji turned around and said, "The Gentle Fist is designed to target and close the tenketsu of the human body with the help of the Byakugan. Hinata-sama created the Gentle Step…to destroy them. Karina-san had best hope that the technique is not completed."

Kiba cringed at the thought of Hinata using a technique like that. He could only hope that she never used it on him.

Arena…

Hinata tried to hit Karina with a punch to the chest, but the Kage-nin stepped to the side and kicked at Hinata's legs. Hinata flipped over her and punched her in the back, but Karina quickly recovered and slammed her fist into Hinata's stomach.

The Hyūga quickly got back on her feet and hit Blackfire in her ribs. Blackfire caught the hand and pulled Hinata close enough to kick her back. The lavender haired girl back flipped and vanished. She then appeared on Karina's left and slammed her fist into Blackfire's face.

Right then, Hinata suddenly noticed that her eyes were slowly changing back. She looked at Karina and said, "Let's end this with one final blow."

Blackfire nodded and said, "I agree. It's time to finish this fight."

Blackfire then pushed as much starbolt energy as she could into her fists until it resembled black flames. Hinata also pushed as much chakra into her attack as she could. Blackfire glanced at Hinata and said, "This is why I carry the title 'Blackfire'. My ultimate attack looks exactly like the flames of Amaterasu."

The two girls stared at each other as a silent wind blew a leaf off of a tree. Neither kunoichi was about to surrender the fight. As the leaf landed, Hinata and Karina rushed in for their final attack. The moment that their fists collided, an explosion erupted in the center of the arena.

When the dust cleared, both girls were laid out on the ground. Genma was about to call the match as a draw, but a small grunt made him turn to see Hinata struggling to get to her feet.

Genma nodded and said, "Winner of the match: Hinata Hyūga."

As the medics came to escort Hinata off of the field, she saw Naruto wave to her from the crowd. The lavender eyed girl finally gave in to the call of sleep with a smile on her face.


	13. 12: The War is On!

A Brother's Return

Ch.12

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, the invasion would've gone crappy in a hurry.

Genma looked to the crowd and said, "Will Shino and Kankuro enter the arena?"

Kankuro looked down and said, "I'm forfeiting my fight."

Genma sighed and said, "Winner by forfeit: Shino Aburame."

He then looked to the stands and said, "The next match will be Kori Anders vs. Mark Logan."

Beast Boy looked to his leader, who made a discreet signal, and said, "I'm afraid that I have to forfeit my match as well."

Genma face palmed and said, "Winner by forfeit: Starfire. Will Subaku no Gaara and Uzumaki Naruto come down?"

As the two fighters exited the stands, Sasuke looked at Naruto and thought, '_That should be my fight. How dare the dobe take my fight?_'

Genma looked to the two competitors and said, "Begin fighting."

Naruto immediately jumped back to avoid getting crushed by Gaara's sand. He then made a few handsigns and said, "**Wind style: Pressure damage**."

As Naruto opened his mouth, a blast of pressurized air slammed into Gaara's sand shield. Naruto smirked at Gaara and said, "You've been using sand to protect yourself from my attacks. It looks like I need to change my strategy."

Gaara glared at Naruto and said, "I thought that you would give me more of a challenge, Uzumaki. Mother was hoping for a chance to feed on your blood today."

Naruto just shook his head and said, "Yeah, well your mother is almost as messed up in the head as you."

Gaara held up his hand and shouted, "**Sand coffin**."

Naruto couldn't react in time to avoid being trapped in Gaara's jutsu. Just as Gaara was about to go in for the kill, Naruto smiled and said, "**Ninjutsu: Daibakuha bunshin no jutsu**."

The redhead's sand could barely protect him from the blast. As Gaara looked around for his prey, he saw something moving through the trees. His sand instinctively attacked the trees, but only a bird came out. Before the sand could fully return to him, Naruto's fist collided with his face.

As Gaara looked back up, Naruto saw that his sand armor was still protecting him. Gaara smirked at him and shouted, "Mother was right about you, Uzumaki Naruto! Your death will fully prove to the world that I exist!"

With that, Gaara encased himself in a giant ball of sand. Outside of the ball, an eye made of sand materialized.

Kage booth…

Cairo face palmed at Gaara's declaration and thought, "_Yep. Shukaku screwed that boy's mind up somethin' terrible_."

He then turned to Orochimaru and said, "Your son is a fool if he believes that he will win this match, Kazekage-dono."

The phony Kazekage turned to Cairo and asked, "What makes you say that, Yamikage-dono? I heard that Naruto-san was voted dead last in the academy."

Cairo chuckled and said, "For starters, Naruto-kun is in no way a dead last."

Only Sarutobi noticed that Cairo made a small signal with his hands.

Stands…

Temari looked at Gaara and thought, "_If he uses that here, we're all going to die. I hope this doesn't jeopardize the invasion._"

Besides her, Kankuro was thinking, "_What the hell are you doing, Gaara? You weren't supposed to transform yet._"

They both saw Kabuto's signal and thought, "_Here we go_."

Meanwhile, Beast Boy turned to Starfire and whispered, "Go to the infirmary and see if Karina is done faking her injuries. The invasion is about to start."

Kori nodded and vanished in a green flash.

Arena…

Naruto tried his hardest to break through the sand dome, but it kept repelling his attack. He then flipped back and said, "It looks like I have no choice but to use _that_ attack."

He then turned to the crowd and shouted, "You had better be watching this, Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto then ran up the side of the stadium wall and stopped when he reached the top.

Stands…

Maito Gai turned to his rival and said, "Kakashi, did you really teach him that move?"

Kakashi nodded and said, "What you're about to see is the evolution of my only original attack."

Sasuke looked at Kakashi and said, "Why does the dobe get some powerful attack while I don't? I'm an Uchiha, an elite ninja who surpasses all others."

Kakashi just turned to Lee and said, "You might want to pay attention to this, Lee."

Kagegakure…

Shiroso Hanzaki was currently passing time by doing a few stretches when Raven appeared. She quickly came up to him and said, "It's about to start. We need the gates open."

Shiroso nodded and said, "How much time do we have?"

Raven looked at the sun's position and said, "We have exactly five minutes."

The spiky haired ninja just nodded and watched as Raven disappeared. Shiroso then quickly **shunshined** to Cairo's office. Upon entering the office, he noticed that Nyiome and another blond were waiting for him.

He looked to the second blond and said, "Call your team, Trish. The invasion's going to begin in four minutes. Nyiome, get down there and tell them to open the gates."

As the two blonds vanished, Shiroso grabbed the village intercom and said, "Attention to all shinobi of Kagegakure, the invasion of Konoha is about to begin. Cairo-sama's orders were simple. Our mission is to protect Konoha at all costs! Head to the gates and move out on my signal."

Arena…

Naruto kept a powerful stream of chakra in his hand until it converted into blue lightning. Its sound was so intense that it sounded like chirping birds. The lightning's color suddenly changed from blue to red and it now sounded like a flock of falcons.

He pulled his hand back and said, "**Chishio chidori**."

He then sped down the side of the wall, leaving a tear where his hand was trailing. The moment he touched the ground, he vanished from sight. He then reappeared over the dome before shouting, "This is for Bushy Brows!"

Everyone could only stare as he plunged his hand into the dome.

Stands…

Gai looked at Lee and said, "That Lee is Kakashi's famed chidori. By encasing the hand in lightning chakra, the user jabs his opponent at high speeds with the intent to pierce through. In short, it's an assassination jutsu."

Lee nodded and said, "Wouldn't a jutsu like that have a side effect, Gai-sensei?"

Gai nodded at his student's question and said, "It does. Due to the speed that the chidori needs to be effective, it causes tunnel vision for anyone using it. Kakashi overcame this problem with his sharingan. I can only assume that Naruto-kun is using his Rinnegan to overcome that problem."

Kakashi nodded and said, "The Rinnegan is the predecessor of the Sharingan. Naruto should have no problem with that move."

Sasuke however seethed at the fact that Naruto's eyes gave birth to his.

Arena…

As Naruto was about to pull his arm free, Gaara's voice shouted out, "Blood! It's my blood!"

Naruto quickly pulled his arm free, only to see an arm made of sand come out of the hole. The strange thing about the arm was that it was a lighter shade and had strange blue veins on it.

The sand dome then fell, revealing a normal Gaara with a hole in his shoulder.

Kage booth…

Cairo turned to the false Kazekage and said, "The second reason that Naruto won't lose is simple. After all, Orochimaru, he sure didn't have any trouble tearing your arm off."

Before the snake sannin could react, Cairo grabbed him by the throat and pulled him to the roof with Sarutobi closely following.

At that moment, feathers started falling into the arena causing almost everyone to pass out. Those who didn't were the shinobi who managed to dispel the genjutsu. Almost instantly, shinobi from both Suna and Oto were rushing the stadium.

Village…

As the shinobi from Suna and Oto ran through the village, they were shocked to see Konoha shinobi waiting for them at almost every turn. One Oto-nin looked to his teammates and said, "What are we waiting for? We've got them outnumbered."

The invaders' resolve quickly steeled at this revelation, but diminished when a female voice called, "You must be fools to think that we weren't prepared for this."

At that moment, a series of large black holes tore themselves open in random areas of the village. Shiroso stepped out of the first hole and shouted, "Attack! Push back the invaders!"

All of Kagegakure's forces started to pour out into the village with the intent of wiping out the invaders.

Arena…

Temari and Kankuro helped Gaara to his feet and quickly carried him out of the stadium. Sasuke, still mad that he couldn't compete, decided to chase after the sand trio.

As Kakashi blocked a kick form an Oto-nin, he turned to Naruto and said, "I want you to gather a team and follow after Sasuke. Once you find him, detain him and wait for further instructions. Consider this as your first A-ranked mission since Wave Country."

Naruto nodded and looked around for potential teammates. He knew that both Hinata and Neji were out of the question. Kiba and most of the others were fighting. That left him with Sakura and Shikamaru. Kakashi made a few hand signs and said, "**Summoning Jutsu**."

A small brown pug appeared on someone's back. Kakashi looked down at the dog and said, "Pakkun, I want you to help Naruto find Sasuke before he gets into trouble."

Pakkun looked up and said, "Sure thing, boss."

Naruto grabbed Pakkun and made his way up the stairs where Shikamaru was fighting a Suna-nin. The sand-nin tried to stab Shikamaru in the arm, but a red blur grabbed him by the throat.

As Naruto made it to the top of the stairs, Kushina slammed the invader through the wall. Naruto then nodded his thanks and said, "Shikamaru, we've been given a mission. We need to find Sasuke before he catches up to Gaara."

Shikamaru nodded and asked, "Will anyone else be coming with us?"

Naruto just hung his head and pointed at Sakura. As the pink-haired girl reached them, an Oto-nin tried to take them by surprise. The last thing he saw was the light shining off of a blue crystal.

Guren jumped down from her position and said, "Are you alright, Naruto-sama?"

Naruto nodded and asked, "What are you doing here, Guren? I thought you were with Cairo nii-san."

The crystal user shook her head and said, "By order of our Yamikage-sama, the shinobi of Kage have come to assist in the invasion."

Shikamaru let out a breath of relief and said, "I don't think we need to waste any more time."

As everyone nodded, Gai landed next to their group. Naruto looked up and asked, "Can you make us an exit, Gai-sensei?"

Gai quickly reeled in his fist and punched out a large section of the wall. He then watched as the group left before rejoining the current fight.

Outside the village…

A set of summoning explosions went off. When the smoke cleared, several large snakes were carving a path towards the village. The snake closest to the wall suddenly stopped moving.

Everyone watched as its head fell from the rest of its body. A figure in a red jacket appeared and said, "I hope this isn't the best that Orochimaru can do. That was just too easy."

The figure looked to the Konoha-nin and said, "You guys need to get your butts in gear before those things reach the walls!"

Stadium rooftop…

Orochimaru looked at the two Kages and said, "I would say that this is quite the reunion, but I would first like to know how the Yamikage knew who I was."

Cairo chuckled and said, "I've been well aware of your scheme, Orochimaru-teme. I was the one who alerted Sarutobi of your plan. As we speak, the forces of Kage and Konoha are currently picking apart your little invasion."

Hiashi…

Several of Orochimaru's forces surrounded Hiashi. One decided to shout, "He's only one man. We can take him."

As the invaders moved in on Hiashi, he knocked them all back with a **kaiten**. He looked down at them and said, "The Hyūga are among the strongest in the village."

Tsume…

Tsume Inuzuka and her partner, Kuromaru, had just finished off a squad of Suna-nin when Hana appeared. Tsume looked back and said, "How are things on your end, Hana?"

The young chunin smirked at her mother and said, "Everything's all clear on my end, kaa-san."

Tsume nodded and said, "Let's move out."

Raven…

Raven had been weaving her way through the invading forces when she was joined by her students. Each of them understood that this was the wrong time to show mercy to their enemies.

Together, the four of them carved a path of destruction through the enemy shinobi. Those who weren't killed were mortally wounded and died of their injuries.

Shikaku…

Shikaku Nara was battling three of the Oto-nin when one suddenly turned on the other two. Shikaku turned to see Inoichi holding a handsign. Inoichi smirked and said, "Would you mind finishing these three off? I don't want to use up my chakra on weaklings like this."

Shikaku nodded and said, "**Ninjutsu: Kage kubi shibari no jutsu**."

Shikaku's shadow quickly wrapped itself around the three ninjas before strangling them to death. Another Oto-nin tried to sneak up on Inoichi, but Choza's staff cracked the man's skull open. Shikaku chuckled and said, "It looks like the old 'Ino-Shika-Cho' trio is back together again."

Village walls…

Dante and his team were currently fending off the snakes when they noticed that one managed to slip past them. The snake slammed down on the wall and left a giant hole as it continued on its path. Suddenly, a voice shouted, "**Ninja summoning: House crusher jutsu!**"

A giant toad dropped from the sky and slammed onto the snake's head. Ibiki, who was watching from a sentry tower, saw that it was Jiraiya who summoned the toad.

Dante leapt over to the sage and said, "Man, am I glad to see you. The situation's getting worse."

Jiraiya nodded and said, "We need to finish these snakes before they can reach the village."

Iruka…

As Iruka led the academy students into the shelters residing Hokage Mountain, he could only wonder how Naruto was holding out. He then looked up and thought, "_You better come out of this alive, Naruto_."

Village streets…

A group of Suna shinobi was destroying houses when they saw a woman hiding behind a trashcan. One of the invaders looked to his friends and said, "Look at this, fellas. This little lady must be lost."

As the woman tried to move back, the same Suna-nin moved closer and said, "The two of us are about to have a _good_ time, girly."

Before the man could make another move, a voice from behind them said, "It looks like I made it in time."

Everyone turned around to see a man wearing a white militia-style outfit with a Kagegakure symbol on his belt. One of the Suna-nin gasped out, "I-it's Credo from the Devil Squad."

Credo sneered at the group and said, "I've shown mercy to criminals, demons, and the sort before. However, the one thing I won't show mercy for is rape. You people should be ashamed of yourselves."

The first Suna-nin backed up and asked, "What are you going to do to us?"

Credo pulled out his sword and said, "If it were any other offense, I might be lenient. But you men have attempted to commit an unforgivable atrocity."

Another of the invaders got down on his knees and said, "Isn't in your nature to allow someone to repent?"

Credo stabbed the man in the chest and said, "You're right. Maybe you can all repent in death."

With that said, Credo made short work of the invaders. When he was finished, he made a **kage bunshin** and had it carry the woman to a safer location.

Naruto…

Almost twenty minutes out of the stadium, Naruto's group was surrounded by Oto-nin. Shikamaru looked at the numbers and said, "Naruto, take Sakura and Pakkun and keep going. The lady and I can handle things here."

Naruto was going to protest, but Guren looked at him and said, "Your mission is to find the Uchiha. We will take care of these clowns. Get going, Naruto."

The young blond just nodded as he, the dog, and Sakura continued on their path.

Stadium roof…

Orochimaru glared at the two Kages and said, "My ambitions will not be brought down by the likes of you two. I will destroy this village. And once I'm done, I'll personally hunt down and kill that Uzumaki brat."

Cairo chuckled and said, "That's where you're wrong, Orochimaru-teme. You won't live long enough to see that day come."

The three Kages each tore off their robes, readying themselves for battle. Sarutobi was wearing his armor, Orochimaru was garbed in his Sound outfit, and Cairo was a different story.

He was wearing Anbu style pants, a black shirt, black fingerless gloves, black boots, and a black hooded cloak with white moons. The back of his cloak had the kanji for 'King of Shadows'.

Cairo ripped off his mask and said, "I'm not letting you get away this time, Orochimaru."

He then pulled out a pair of shuriken and said, "Let's dance!"

Orochimaru smirked and said, "It seems that you managed to survive all of these years. I'll be sure to put an end to that as well."

He then did a few handsigns and said, "**Earth style: mud bullets.**"

As the projectiles neared Cairo, he held up his hand and said, "**Shinra tensei**."

All of the projectiles were blown back at the snake sannin. Sarutobi made a handsign and shouted, "**Earth style: mud dragon jutsu!**"

A dragon head made of mud shot up from the ground and blasted Orochimaru with a torrent of mud. As the former sannin tried to hold his ground, Cairo held out his hand and shouted, "**Fire style: fire dragon jutsu!**"

He then shot out a blast of fire which combined with the mud and overwhelmed Orochimaru. Once the two of them canceled their attacks, Hiruzen looked down and said, "You might as well come out. You're not fooling anyone."

The snake sannin chuckled as he started to rise from the ground. He looked at Sarutobi and said, "It looks like you still have a little fight left in you, Sarutobi-sensei."

Suddenly, four figures surrounded them and shouted, "**Ninja art: Four flames formation.**"

A barrier of violet flames swiftly encased them. The largest of the group then said, "Set up the secondary barrier."

With a single handsign, the four shinobi were encased in their own barrier.

Orochimaru looked to his former master and said, "Oh, how I have waited for this day to come. I'm going to watch this village burn to the ground as I stand over your lifeless bodies."

Cairo growled and said, "You just don't understand what's going on here. I picked apart your invasion from the start. I knew that you killed the Kazekage when he tried to back out of the deal. I also knew that you were going to use snake summons to break down the gate that protects the village. However, you can take comfort in knowing that your men weren't the ones who informed me of this. Ever since you failed to posses Itachi's body for your own, he knew that you would go after Sasuke. He's been spying on you since he chased you out of Akatsuki."

Orochimaru sneered and said, "It no longer matters. I will not be killed by the likes of a child and an old man. The two of you will die while I live on forever."

To prove his point, he ripped off his face to reveal the face of a woman. Sarutobi groaned and said, "You actually completed that jutsu. You are nothing more than a monster."

Orochimaru put his regular face on and said, "Call me what you will. It doesn't change the fact that you will be dead by nightfall."

Cairo pulled out a shuriken and threw it. He then shouted, "**Shadow shuriken clone jutsu!**"

Instantly, his one shuriken became hundreds. Orochimaru made a few handsigns and said, "**Edo tensei.**"

Sarutobi watched as the first two coffins rose from the ground. He then shouted, "Cairo, you have to stop the third one from rising!"

Cairo sent out more shuriken, but Orochimaru managed to raise the third one from the ground. As the coffins opened up, the first two people stepped forward. The one in red armor said, "Is that you, monkey? You look so much older."

The one in blue armor looked at him and said, "It's good to see you again, Sarutobi. I see that you're still Hokage."

He then looked at Cairo and said, "I feel compelled to ask you if that boy is related to you."

Before he could answer, the third figure stepped out of his coffin and said, "The young boy is not related to Sarutobi. How long have I been dead Cairo? I would guess that you're about fifteen. Also, where is Naruto? Why isn't he here with you?"

Cairo seethed and said, "You've been dead for thirteen years. Naruto is off on an A-ranked assignment. Also, I wouldn't dare let him see what Orochimaru has done to you."

Orochimaru chuckled and said, "That's nice and all, but I have things to do and a village to burn down."

As he placed the control talismans in the former Kage's heads, Cairo growled and said, "For your sake Orochimaru, you had better hope that I die before the moon rises."

The snake sannin laughed and said, "Look at you. You're a pitiful child trying to make an even more pitiful stand. Minato, you shall deal with the boy while they deal with my old master."

As the possessed Kages walked forward, a bullet imbedded itself into Hashirama's forehead. A female voice called out, "I was honestly hoping to avoid your ugly mug, Orochimaru. I guess some things just have to come to pass."

Cairo looked back and saw Bayonetta walking up to them. He quickly grabbed Sarutobi and tossed him at her before shouting, "Get him out of here, Bayonetta. I can handle this by myself."

Orochimaru tried to stop them, but they vanished in a purple flash. Cairo shook his head in shame before saying, "Hashirama-dono, Tobirama-dono, Minato-dono, I pray that your souls will soon rest again."

Stadium audience…

Kushina was fighting back to back with Kakashi when Bayonetta and Sarutobi appeared. The Sandaime looked at Kushina and said, "You need to get to the rooftops. Cairo is about to fight Orochimaru."

Kushina gasped and asked, "Is anyone helping him?" Cereza shook her head and said, "I was going to offer assistance, but he told me to take Sarutobi-san and leave the fight to him."

Kushina nodded in understanding and asked, "Is there anything else that I should know?"

Sasuke…

Sasuke could feel Gaara's chakra signature getting closer. As he continued on his path, he almost missed the light that bounced off of the wire. He quickly moved from his branch as an explosion went off.

The more branches he landed on, the more they exploded. Finally, he made it out of the trap and started back after Gaara.

Temari…

While still carrying her brother, Temari decided to stop on a branch. Gaara suddenly woke up and said, "Put me down, Temari."

Temari shook her head and said, "You're still injured, Gaara. I can't risk letting you get hurt again."

Gaara balled his fist and punched his sister away from him. He then looked up and said, "I know you're here, Uchiha. Mother is not concerned with you. She wants to taste the blood of the Uzumaki."

Sasuke scoffed and said, "Your fight is with me. I'm a lot stronger than the dobe."

Suddenly, Gaara's sand gourd started to cover his right side in sand. The sand took the form of a mini Shukaku. Gaara smirked and said, "If you wish to sacrifice yourself to mother, so be it."

Naruto…

Naruto and Sakura looked at the burned part of the forest. Naruto then said, "This trap was recently activated. Sasuke-teme just came this way."

Suddenly, Sasuke's chakra started to flare. Sakura looked up and said, "We need to hurry. Sasuke-kun might be in trouble."

Naruto sighed and muttered, "If it was up to me, I'd leave him to die. Sadly, I'm not in the position to make that choice."

Cairo…

Hashirama took the initiative and said, "**Fire style: fire ball jutsu**."

Cairo jumped over the ball of flames and said "**Wind style: pressure damage**."

As the torrent of wind rushed at the fallen Kages, Tobirama made a handsign and shouted, "**Water style: water wall jutsu**."

Out of nowhere, a spiral of water intercepted the wind. As the attacks canceled each other out, the Nidaime called out, "**Water style: water shockwave**."

Cairo held out his sai and said, "**Wind style:** **Sharp splitter!**"

A thin blade of air carved a path through the Second's attack, causing it to pass Cairo on both sides. Cairo was about to go on the offensive, but he felt a kunai being stabbed into his back. He turned his head to see Minato staring at him with soulless eyes.


	14. 13: When the Battle Ends

A Brother's Return

Ch.13

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, Itachi would be constantly seen with a box of pocky.

Orochimaru smirked at the sight before him, but lost that smile when Cairo vanished into thin air. The Yamikage let out a chuckle from the snake Sannin's side and said, "Did you really believe that an attack that slow would kill me? I moved out of the way the very moment I deflected the Second's attack. You should know better than to underestimate someone like me."

Orochimaru sneered and said, "Don't think I haven't realized what you're doing, boy. You're trying to buy yourself enough time for the moon to rise. It's such a shame that won't live long enough to see your little counter strike fall through the cracks."

He then turned to the revived Kages and said, "We've wasted enough time with this child. Kill him so that we may continue the invasion."

Having no other choice but to obey, the former Kages of the Leaf Village rushed forward to do their master's bidding. Cairo glared at the former Sannin and said, "You've just made a grievous mistake. I hope you're ready to pay the price."

Cereza…

As Bayonetta and Jeanne worked with Sarutobi and Kushina to push back the stronger of the invaders, Cereza's com-link activated. Cairo's voice quickly chimed, "_Cereza, I need you to jumpstart Phase 2._"

The witch shot down three Oto shinobi and replied, "I'm on it. Jeanne's found the device and is waiting for your signal."

Cairo let out a growling sound and said, "_Tell Shiroso that as of this moment, the Blacklight ninjutsu protocol has been activated._"

Cereza switched frequencies and quickly contacted Shiroso. After relaying her message to him, she turned to Jeanne to give the signal to begin Phase 2.

Shiroso…

After receiving Bayonetta's call, he jumped onto a building and looked to the sky. Almost a moment later, everyone fighting watched as the sky changed from day to night. As the sky went dark, they all saw the moon come out from behind the clouds.

The strange thing about the moment, however, was that the moon was bigger than it had ever been. Shiroso quickly changed his com-link to a public setting and shouted, "Attention all shinobi of Kage. The Yamikage has officially authorized the Blacklight protocol. I repeat the Blacklight protocol has been authorized."

Suddenly every shinobi from Kage started a series of complex handsigns. They then all stopped on the same seal and said in a unified voice, "**Kagegakure hijutsu: Kuro Hikari no jutsu!**"

At that moment, every Kage shinobi seemed to glow with a purple aura as their chakra levels skyrocketed.

Naruto…

The moment Naruto caught up with Sasuke, he saw said emo get knocked into a tree. Sakura, being the cannon fodder she is, whipped out a kunai and tried to attack Gaara. The redhead didn't even bat an eyelash as he backhanded Sakura into a tree.

He then slammed his sand claw into her and broke it off, leaving her trapped to the tree. Sasuke struggled to get to his feet but only managed to prop himself up on one leg. Gaara then looked at him and said, "You're nowhere near as powerful as the Uzumaki. Compared to him, you are but a lowly flea. Mother wants the blood of the Uzumaki, and I'll use you to draw him out."

Sasuke finally stood up and said, "How dare you compare me to that street urchin. I'm an Elite Uchiha, the greatest of shinobi. That dobe can't compare to me."

A voice quickly called out from every angle, "You're right about one thing, teme. I'm nothing like you."

Both Gaara and the emo turned to see Naruto standing near Temari. He then used his gravity control to slowly walk towards them in mid-air while saying, "Unlike _**you**_, I have _**actual**_ friends who _**actually**_ care about me, my clan _**wasn't**_ a group of thieves, my father _**wasn't**_ an asshole, and it just so happens that I _**have**_ a girlfriend who _**isn't**_ a useless fan girl."

During the awkward silence you could almost hear someone shouting, "Burn!"

Sasuke tried to make a comment but Naruto quickly knocked him on his stomach. He then pulled Sasuke up by his hair and said, "Be thankful that I was sent here to save your sorry ass. As far as I'm concerned, you are nothing to me. You will never be my superior, my master, my better, or even my equal. And to think, if you weren't such a jackass, I would've invited you to train with me. You had the chance to achieve power like mine when I extended my hand in friendship, but it's too late for that."

Naruto then dropped the emo and turned to Gaara. He looked the redhead over before saying, "I want you to summon your demon. I refuse to fight you at anything less than your full strength."

Gaara gave his menacing smile and asked, "What makes you think you can handle the power of Shukaku? Skepticism aside, if you wish to die then so be it. Mother will reward me greatly for feeding her your blood."

As Gaara began to transform, Naruto flew up into the air until he was face to face with the giant Shukaku. He then said, "That's it, Gaara. I want you to unleash the totality of your fury. I intend to break it down until I free your soul from this sea of anger and loneliness."

He then watched as Gaara partially raised himself out of the beasts head. With just a single hand sign, the redhead whispered, "**Tanuki Neri no jutsu**."

Suddenly, the demon's pale yellow eyes started to spin as they became dark gold. In a different voice, the Shukaku yelled, "**I'm finally free! It's time to get back to killing things!**"

Naruto quickly shouted, "You won't be killing anything today Shukaku. **Ninpō: Kuchiyōse no jutsu!**"

As Naruto slammed his hands together, the Ichibi could only scream in terror at what appeared in the smoke.

Cairo…

Cairo quickly sped past the former Kages and delivered an upward kick to Orochimaru's jaw. He then jumped up to grab the Sannin by his throat and said, "I really hope this hurts, you teme."

He then kicked the traitor higher into the air before flashing in front of him. Orochimaru couldn't move as Cairo locked his arms around him and began to spin. As they fell back to the ground, Cairo used his chakra to increase the speed of the rotation.

Right before they touched down, Cairo slammed the man's head into the roof while shouting, "**Izuna drop**!"

He knew good and well that he destroyed Orochimaru's neck with that last attack, but was surprised when he saw the man crawl out of his own mouth.

Cairo grimaced and said, "That's just plain freakish. I can't believe you just did that."

The sannin chuckled and said, "Come now. You didn't really believe that would kill me, did you? However, I am surprised that you forced me to shed a skin."

The Yamikage laughed and said, "Not really, you sick freak. I'm just glad that I was able to do some damage. That attack would've normally destroyed your skull."

He then took off his cloak and said, "All jokes aside, Orochimaru, it's time to get serious. **Katon: Hijin no Ryuza!**"

Cairo quickly summoned a giant dragon made of black flames to incinerate the Kages while the former Sannin jumped out of the way. He then said, "How do you like the Blacklight technique? It magnifies the power of any and all jutsu cast by the user. The only side effect is that most jutsu appear to be black in color."

As he watched the Kages regenerate, he frowned and said, "You had the nerve to summon my family from the grave to do your bidding. I'm about to show you the true nature of the Uzumaki Clan. You didn't think you were the only one who could use that jutsu did you?"

Orochimaru sneered and said, "You're not telling me that you intend to use the **Edo Tensei** are you?"

Cairo made a handsign and said, "That's _exactly_ what I'm saying, Orochimaru. **Kuchiyose: Edo tensei!**"

The Hebi Sannin ordered the Kages to stop the coffin from rising but Cairo made a **kage bunshin** to hold them off. As the lid to the coffin started to open, Cairo activated his Rinnegan and said, "If there's one thing I know about Hashi-sama and Tobi-sama, it's that there's one person who can put them in their place. Let me introduce you to a woman who represents the true power of the Uzumaki."

Naruto…

Shukaku tried to back away from the fight when the smoke cleared. A deep voice then said, "**What's the matter, Shukaku-teme? Have you finally remembered your place at the bottom of the food chain?**"

The Ichibi growled and said, "**That's it! I'm going to tear you to shreds you jackass.**"

He then watched as the Kyūbi no Kitsune stepped forward and said, "**Is that so? Last time we fought, I kicked your sandy ass all across Kaze no Kuni.**"

Naruto looked down and said, "Remember, we need to keep him away from the village."

Kyūbi nodded and said, "**I'm gonna enjoy knocking you back down a few pegs Shukaku.**"

The Ichibi quickly inhaled and shouted, "**Fūton: Renkudan!**"

He then slammed his fist into his stomach, launching three large spheres of compressed air at Naruto and Kyūbi. The fox jumped over Shukaku's attack and shot a stream of fire at him.

Shukaku blocked the flames with his arm and watched as it turned to glass. He then broke it off and generated himself a new one. Kyūbi then jumped back and said, "**Kit, you need to wake up the host to force Shukaku back into the seal. After that, you need to do something to finish this.**"

Naruto nodded and asked, "Do you think you can hold him down long enough for me to get to Gaara?"

Kyūbi growled and said, "**I can hold him but I don't know for how long. You'll have to work fast.**"

Naruto cracked his knuckles and said, "Before we do this, there's something I have to ask you."

As the fox looked up, Naruto asked, "I know that when kaa-chan was fused with you, she was the dominant personality. But now that she's back in her own body, are you actually a guy or a chick?"

Shukaku let out an anime sweat drop while Kyūbi had the nerve to fall over. The large fox then shouted, "**This isn't the time for stupid questions, you moron! Try asking me that again when your village **_**isn't**_** in grave danger!**"

Kyūbi then charged at Shukaku and bit down on his shoulder. It then wrapped its tails around the sand beast and screamed, "**Naruto, do it now while I have him!**"

Naruto quickly ran across the fox's head and launched himself at Gaara. As he got in close, he reared his fist back and shouted, "Wake the hell up, you dumbass!"

He then slammed his fist into the redhead's cheek, causing Shukaku to scream, "**This isn't fair! I just got out!**"

As the demon's influence started to recede, Naruto made a few hand seals and said, "**Gogyō fūin!**"

He then slammed his hand into Gaara's chest and blocked of the Ichibi's influence. As the sand started to fade away, Kyuubi vanished in a puff of smoke. Naruto then flew down to the ground where Gaara was trying to back away from him.

The redhead looked at him and said, "Get away from me. I won't allow you extinguish my existence."

Naruto shook his head and said, "It can be so painful to live life as a jinchuuriki. Every day you wake up, you feel so alone."

Gaara looked at him and asked, "H-how are you so powerful, Uzumaki? Where does your strength come from?"

The blond crouched down to him and said, "I've found people who care for me and I will do everything in my power to protect them. That is where my strength comes from."

Gaara looked on in wonder and asked, "Would it be possible for someone like me to find people who care about me?"

Naruto just shook his head and said, "You already have people who care for you, Gaara. Though they are afraid of you, both Temari and Kankuro still love you."

As Gaara's siblings jumped down to their brother's side, Gaara looked at them and said, "It's all over. I'm done fighting."

Naruto extended his hand and said, "You don't have to be alone anymore. I'd like to be your friend if you'd let me."

The redhead looked on in hesitation before accepting Naruto's hand. He then said, "I would like that…Naruto."

As Naruto helped Gaara to his feet, the redhead turned to his siblings and said, "I'm sorry for everything. Let's get out of here."

The moment the three Suna shinobi left, Naruto quickly flew back to the village.

Cairo…

The moment the lid fell from the coffin, Orochimaru jumped back in surprise. The woman inside wore a white kimono and had fiery red hair tied back in two buns. She also appeared to have a purple diamond mark on her forehead.

As the woman stepped forward, her face alone was enough to weaken the Hebi Sannin's control over the first two Hokages. Hashirama stepped forward and asked, "How can you be alive? I know I died before you, but seeing you now is such a surprise."

The Nidaime nodded and said, "Nee-sama, you look as young as I remember you. This must be the work of my jutsu."

The woman looked at Cairo and said, "Judging by my position, it must've been you who summoned me. I may not hold the fox anymore but my empathic abilities are still strong."

Cairo nodded and said, "It's true. I need your help in freeing our family free from that man."

The woman let out a gasp and asked, "Did you just say _our_ family? How is it we are related, dear child?"

The young Kage turned around and said, "I am an Uzumaki. We are of the same blood."

The woman looked down at him and replied, "There is no mistaking it. You were born of Kushina-chan, weren't you? I can see the similarities in your facial features."

Cairo nodded and said, "She is indeed my kaa-chan, Mito-sama. However, this isn't the time for a family reunion. I need your assistance in defeating this traitor."

Orochimaru sneered and said, "You speak of me being a traitor, but what are you? How can you paint me so black when you abandoned this village as well?"

The Yamikage quickly said, "Don't you dare compare us, Orochimaru. I was exiled from Konoha as a child. This village betrayed me and my family."

Mito placed a hand on Cairo's shoulder and said, "I can feel the pain within you, dear child. My powers show me that you are speaking truthfully. Can you tell me what happened?"

Orochimaru called back the revived Kages and said, "I must admit myself to be interested in this tale as well. What could prompt a village like Konoha to cast away such a powerful child?"

Cairo then spent the next few moments reliving the tale of his exile. When he finished, Orochimaru gave him a sympathetic look and said, "That is truly a disturbing tale. I may have done some sick experiments in my time, but even I find that to be abominable. If the situation were any different, I'd offer you sanctuary in Oto. At least you can consider the destruction of this village a final mercy."

Cairo then snickered and said, "I never said that I hated Konoha. Sure, I have a great dislike of most of the people here, but there are still people here that I care about. As long as they live, I will fight to my dying breath to protect them. That is my nindo, my ninja way!"

The former sannin sneered and replied, "If you wish to fall with this village, so be it! Kill him!"

Only a moment later, Orochimaru was faced with a horrifying fact. None of the Kages were advancing. When he turned around, he saw that the First and Second Hokages were starting to dissolve.

Tobirama quickly said, "I'm sorry for all of this, child. I can't believe that you still have the will to protect this horrible village after what you went through."

Hashirama nodded and said, "You are truly an amazing young man. Give that old monkey our final regards for us."

With those final words, the two Senju brothers turned to dust. Orochimaru turned to Minato and said, "Why are you just standing there? I command you to kill that child!"

Minato gave the former sannin a cold glare and said, "I don't take orders from you anymore, you lowlife."

He then summoned a rasengan and slammed it into Orochimaru's chest. As the sannin flew backwards, Minato pulled out one of his infamous tri-pronged kunai.

He quickly threw it at the traitorous snake before vanishing in a yellow flash. Not even a second later, the Yondaime reappeared and slammed another rasengan into Orochimaru's face. The sannin screamed as he was drilled into the ground by the force of the attack.

As he tried to get back to his feet, a multitude of blue chains wrapped around him and forced him back down. He could only look on in horror as Mito forced the chains to constrict him even harder while forcing him to his feet. She then got in the man's face and said, "Now you will feel the wrath of my family. He is yours to finish young man."

Cairo nodded as he began channeling demonic chakra through his hands. He then plunged his newly formed claws into Orochimaru's shoulders and dragged them down his arms. The traitor screamed in pain and said, "What did you do to me?"

Cairo smirked and said, "My otouto sure can inspire some creative techniques. I used a concentrated dose of yokai and destroyed your arms. It's simply a more destructive version of when he ripped out that arm of yours. You'll never perform a jutsu again."

Orochimaru could only watch in pain as his arms turned a dark grey color. He then ordered his guards to retreat. After watching the sannin escape, he turned to Mito and said, "It's time for us to part ways. I'm sorry that I was forced to disturb your slumber for such a foolish reason. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Mito waved him off and said, "There is nothing to forgive. You did what was needed to defend everyone from that man's attack. It only saddens me that the village my husband worked so hard to create would fall so low. Dear child, tell Kushina that I am naming her as the head of the Uzumaki Clan. Promise me that you will ask her to use that influence to restrict our clan symbol to be used only by those that stood loyal to us."

Cairo nodded and said, "I give you my word, Mito-sama. May you rest in peace."

As she faded away, Mito said, "Give your mother and Tsunade-chan my final words."

Cairo then turned to Minato and said, "It's over for now, but he'll be back someday."

The Yondaime nodded and said, "We'll be ready for him when he returns."

Cairo just chuckled and said, "I just hope you're ready to see okaa-san again. She's gonna lose it."

As the two prepared to leave from the rooftop, Cairo heard a weak moan. He turned around and saw the female Oto gennin resting on a pile of dust, signifying her use in the **Edo Tensei**.

Cairo quickly snapped his fingers and summoned Kabuto, who was still in his Anbu disguise. He then said, "Kabuto, I need you to take the girl to Raven. Tell her to get this girl to our hospital and that she is to be treated immediately. After that, I want you to resume active duty with Orochimaru. Your village needs your skills now more than ever."

Kabuto simply nodded as he and Kin vanished. Minato turned to his son and said, "I've been meaning to ask you a really important question."

Cairo perked up an eyebrow as his father asked, "How exactly did you use the **Edo Tensei** without the sacrifices?"

Cairo glanced over his shoulder before saying, "The Rinnegan places me outside the realm of life and death. Therefore, I can bypass the sacrificial part of the jutsu and directly guide the soul to the realm of the living."

Minato nodded and said, "You've actually found a way to make a dark jutsu almost decent. You're just full of surprises."

A voice then called out, "He's not the only one with surprises."

The Yondaime turned around just in time to be tackled by a pair of red and yellow blurs. Cairo let out a happy sigh as he pulled his mother and brother off of the downed Hokage.

After a heartfelt moment (that this author doesn't feel like writing), Naruto quickly said, "I just realized something really bad." Everyone perked their ears up as he said, "We're gonna catch hell from the council."

The entire group just sighed at the truth in Naruto's words. They all then left the area to prepare themselves for the next day.


	15. 14: Aftermath: Hunt for Tsunade

A Brother's Return

Ch.14

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

(): author speaking

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto. If I did, you'd see an image of the Shinigami whenever Kushina smiled.

The day after the invasion, a small memorial service was held to honor those few who had fallen in battle. Almost a week later, the village seemed to return to normal. Due to the low amount of casualties and battle damage, repairs to the village were coming along smoothly.

Naruto and his family were currently resting in the Namikaze clan compound when an Anbu appeared at the gates. Kushina went down to visit the Anbu, only to return with a scroll from the Hokage.

She looked at her family and said, "I hate to break the peace, but we've been summoned by the council. They also want Cairo and his group to come."

Cairo just grunted and said, "You all go on ahead. I'll round up my shinobi that stayed behind and meet you there."

Later…

As Sarutobi sat in his seat, he wondered to himself why the Nidaime insisted on a civilian council. They were more of a nuisance that an asset. He was about to slam his head on the desk when Minato, Kushina, and Naruto appeared in a puff of smoke.

Hiruzen was about to ask about Cairo's location, but Saiyuri shouted, "How dare you keep us waiting?"

Naruto just cleaned out his ears and said, "Did you say something, Haruno-san? I was too distracted by the sound of a howler monkey."

Saiyuri growled at him as most of the shinobi council tried to bite back their laughter. Hiashi quickly composed himself and asked, "Naruto-san, may I ask where your brother is? I never would've guessed that a Kage would be late to a meeting like this."

Suddenly, an ethereal voice chimed out, "I'm sorry to keep you all waiting. I had a few people to round up."

Only a second later, a shadow on the wall started to expand. Out of the darkness stepped Cairo, Nyiome, Shiroso, Raven, and the Yami gennin team. Cairo then said, "I can only assume this meeting has to do with the invasion."

Tsume nodded and said, "The council has deliberated over this matter and we would all like to extend our gratitude to your village. If there is anything we can do to repay this kindness, please don't hesitate to ask."

Cairo whispered something into Kushina's ear, causing her to say, "There is only one thing you can do to repay my son. As head of the Uzumaki clan, I hereby revoke our insignia from all civilian access. As of now, the Uzumaki swirl is only to be used in shinobi affairs."

One of the fatter civilians stood up and screamed, "You don't have any right to do that."

Kushina just scoffed and said, "It's _**my**_ clan's symbol and I can do what I want with it. End of discussion."

Sarutobi cleared his throat and said, "Kushina-chan has made her decision about this matter and there will be no argument. The reason I have called you all here today is because I'm retiring from the Hokage position."

Dustin stood up and asked, "If you're retiring, does that mean that Minato is retaking the position?"

The Yondaime shook his head and said, "I'm sorry Dustin, but I can't bring myself to lead such a bigoted village."

Saiyuri quickly shouted, "How can you say that? I bet those little monsters poisoned your mind."

Minato stomped his foot down and said, "How _**dare**_ you insult my children in front of me. It's for that reason that I _**refuse**_ to retake the Hokage mantle. Besides, Sarutobi has already chosen his successor. It took her some convincing, but she finally agreed. I won't tell you who she is, but you'll find out when she gets back to the village."

Sarutobi looked to Cairo and said, "I hope you'll stay for the promotional ceremony next week."

The old Hokage watched Cairo nod and said, "This meeting is over. I need some sleep."

One week later…

As the surviving teams who made it through the Chunnin Exams filed their way back into the stadium, Team 7 looked around to see who made it. Among the group were the entire Konoha 12 and the team from Kage.

Everyone stood at attention when Sarutobi, Minato, Cairo, and the team leaders appeared in front of them. Sarutobi cleared his throat and said, "Welcome, everyone, to the promotional ceremony. It is here that we will announce those who have been promoted to the level of chunnin. When your sensei calls your name, please step forward."

Cairo took the initiative and urged Raven to the front. The blue-haired woman stepped up and said, "Karina, Hokage-sama and Yamikage-sama have both watched your performance in the finals. You have shown that not only do you have the needed battle skills; you also have the knowledge and mental focus needed to carry yourself and your team to victory. It is with great honor that I award you the title of Chūnin."

She then turned to her other two students and said, "While the two of you didn't actually fight in the finals; you both showed your skill in the defense of Konoha. The Hokage has decided to award you both the title of Chūnin."

Team Yami bowed to their sensei as Asuma came forward. The younger Sarutobi looked down to Shikamaru and said, "You showed that not only do you have a great mind for strategy; you were also willing to defend your comrades while knowing you were low on strength and chakra. I'm proud to call you a Chūnin."

Shikamaru just muttered 'troublesome' while bowing to his sensei. Kurenai moved up next and said, "Hinata, you have proven to a great many people that you have truly become strong. It warms my heart to promote you to Chūnin. Your father wishes to personally award you your Chūnin jacket when you return home."

Kurenai then turned to Shino and Kiba and said, "The two of you showed great skill and determination to protect your home during the invasion. While we're not promoting you to Chūnin, the Yamikage has personally recommended you both to Hokage-sama to one day join the Anbu. I have never been more proud to be your sensei."

Team 8 bowed to their sensei as Kakashi stepped forward. He put a hand on Naruto's shoulder and said, "Naruto, there comes a time where a shinobi rises above and beyond the normal expectations that someone has for them. I think it best that Hokage-sama award you for your efforts."

Sarutobi stepped up and said, "Naruto, you have done more than just lived up to my expectations. You have exceeded any limits that have been set before you. During the invasion, you personally went head to head with the Suna jinchuuriki and defeated him. You also rose through the exams and emerged as the victor."

The other gennin gave the Hokage a gasp as he said, "The Yamikage and I talked it over, and seeing how Gaara was officially your opponent, we have decided to announce you as the victor of the Chūnin Exams. It is also due to your skills, determination, and intellect that we are awarding you the title of Tokubetsu Jonin."

As Naruto bowed, Sarutobi ruffled his hair and said, "I believe that the Yamikage wishes to personally award you your new flak jacket."

Cairo moved forward and said, "You have proven to be a strong shinobi, Naruto. Walk into the future with your head held high as you wear this with pride."

Right before Naruto could accept his new flak jacket; Sasuke moved up and asked, "Aren't you all forgetting about my promotion?"

Hiruzen looked down at him and said, "Sasuke, we did not forget about your promotion. You simply haven't earned one."

Sakura quickly shouted, "Why wasn't Sasuke-kun promoted? If Naruto-baka got promoted to Tokubetsu Jonin, Sasuke-kun definitely deserves to be promoted to at least Elite Jonin. After all, he did beat that Gaara kid back in the forest."

A cold voice quickly said, "The Uchiha could never defeat me. The thought of it alone is laughable."

Everyone turned around to see the team from Suna. Gaara then continued, "I was too powerful for the Uchiha to handle. He would've died if Naruto-san hadn't appeared to rescue him and their pitiful excuse of a teammate."

Naruto walked over to Gaara and said, "I thought you left for Suna already."

Temari shook her head and said, "We were going to, but Gaara insisted that we personally apologize to Hokage-sama for our part in the invasion."

The Sandaime waved her off and said, "Orochimaru had us all fooled. You all did what you thought was needed for your country, so I can't fault you that much."

He then turned back to Sasuke and said, "Seeing as how the information about the dealings in the forest has been brought to light, there will be no promotion for you, Sasuke."

Sasuke growled and said, "Why is it that the dobe gets promoted and I don't? I am an Uchiha, one of the elite of the village. If anything, I deserve to be promoted more than anyone here."

He would've said more, but the Hokage's killer intent (which will be referred to as KI from this point forward) forced the words to choke up in his throat. The Sandaime grabbed him by his shirt collar and said, "Listen here, gennin. I am the Hokage of this village and you will do well to remember that. Your lack of a promotion came from the fact that you were tardy to you own fight, you've shown nothing but selfish intentions, you almost humiliated yourself and your village in the presence of a foreign dignitary, and you blindly rushed into a battle that not only were you not ready for, it was never your fight to begin with. From my point of view, you don't even deserve to be a gennin. Be thankful that I don't strip you of your current rank and sent back to the academy."

Sarutobi quickly dropped the Uchiha and said, "Gai-san, I do believe that you have the floor."

Maito Gai quickly jumped forward and said, "Yosh! While none of you were promoted, Hokage-sama and Yamikage-sama have announced themselves to be impressed with your skills! I have never been more proud to be your sensei."

(I just want to apologize for what you all are about to see. As much as I don't want to write this next part, it has to be done.)

Lee quickly hobbled up to his sensei and shouted, "GAI-SENSEI, I SWEAR THAT MY FLAMES OF YOUTH WILL SHINE EVEN BRIGHTER DURING THE NEXT CHUNNIN EXAMS!"

"LEE, YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH ARE ALREADY BURNING BRIGHT WITH DETERMINATION!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

Before their deadly **Sunset Genjutsu **could be activated, Cairo quickly kicked them away from each other and screamed, "For the love of Kami-sama, no one wants to see that! Act with some damn sense!"

(Once again I apologize for that. At least you all didn't have to see that horrible genjutsu. That's next time. Now excuse me while I go to therapy.)

Cairo quickly composed himself and said, "Tenten, I was watching your fight in the prelims and I noticed that you specialize in weapons. I think I know someone who can help advance your training."

As Gai and Cairo stepped back, Sarutobi said, "This ceremony is now concluded. Naruto, I want you to report to my office on the double."

While everyone went their separate ways, Sasuke thought to himself, "_How could they make that loser a Jonin and not me? I deserve that title, not some trash. The council will hear about this._"

Hokage's office…

Naruto and Sarutobi arrived at the office, only to find Jiraiya waiting on them. Sarutobi closed the door and said, "Jiraiya, I want you to take Naruto with you and call Tsunade back to the village. If I'm correct, she's still in Tanzaku Gai."

Jiraiya nodded but asked, "Isn't she still restocking on medical supplies?"

A voice suddenly called out, "That may be true, but we have reason to believe that Orochimaru will seek her out to heal his arms."

Everyone relaxed when they saw Cairo standing by a wall. The Sandaime sighed and said, "I really wish you would use the door."

Cairo snorted and said, "The day I use this door is the day that Enma learns how to fly. Sadly, this isn't the time for jokes. I've also received word that Itachi will be coming to the village. We need to steer him away so that he doesn't get into too much trouble."

Hiruzen nodded and replied, "You have a point. Only a select few of us know about his true loyalties. While Jiraiya and Naruto are gone, I'll try to redirect them safely."

Jiraiya cracked his neck and said, "Get packed, Naruto. We're leaving on the double."

Namikaze compound…

Kushina and Minato were currently catching up with each other when they felt a new chakra source enter the grounds. Kushina was about to reach for her katana when Minato grabbed her hand. He shook his head and said, "It wasn't anything to worry about. That's Naruto's chakra."

Kushina smirked and said, "I know. I was gonna smack him over the head for cutting me off like that."

Minato sighed and said, "I hope the boys didn't catch your violent side."

Naruto quickly walked in and said, "I've got a mission. I'll be back in about a week. Also, Itachi's coming to the village. Try not to hurt him too much."

Minato watched his son leave but Kushina was caught up in her own thoughts. "_This may be my chance to find Nagato_," was her only coherent thought.

Naruto suddenly walked back in and said, "By the way kaa-chan, I heard your little comment."

He quickly poured a glass of ice down Kushina's back and vanished. Her new thought was, "_I am __**so**__ gonna get him back for that._"

Later that day…

Kakashi was currently standing by the dango stand when Asuma and Kurenai showed up. Kurenai waved and said, "How are you doing, Kakashi? You must feel quite proud of Naruto."

The silver haired man nodded and said, "I am, but sadly I'm still stuck with emo and the harpy. I swear, those two make me want to submit _**myself**_ to the Konoha Asylum just to find some peace of mind."

Asuma snickered while Kurenai said, "You really shouldn't talk about your students…even if it _**is**_ true."

By that point, the three Jonins had lost all composure and broke down laughing. A moment later, Sasuke appeared and said, "You're here earlier than I expected Kakashi."

The scarecrow of a man decided to ignore that and said, "I'm sorry Sasuke, but I don't have time to train you today. An assignment has come up that I need to attend to."

Sasuke jus scoffed and said, "Whatever. I'm out of here."

As Sasuke left, Kakashi motioned for his fellow shinobi to follow him. Once they arrived at a clearing, Kakashi turned around and said, "Itachi Uchiha, you've got a lot of nerve to show your face around these parts."

Itachi's partner laughed and said, "It seems you're still pretty infamous around here, Itachi."

Kurenai whipped out a kunai and said, "You're Kisame Hoshigaki, the monster of Kirigakure. The bingo book says that you were a part of the failed coup de teat against the Mizukage."

Kisame slammed his large sword into the ground and said, "Someone's been doing their homework. I'm impressed."

Asuma put out his cigarette and asked, "What are you doing here, Itachi? Did you come to finish what you started all those years ago?"  
>The elder Uchiha removed his hat and said, "Sasuke doesn't interest me in the slightest. I came here for the legacy of the Fourth."<p>

As Kurenai tried to make sense of what Itachi said, Asuma and Kakashi both narrowed their eyes. Asuma gripped his trench knife even harder, but Kakashi was having a different reaction.

He had spoken with Jiraiya about the Akatsuki and knew why they would be looking for Naruto. He also knew that should they manage to capture him, it would surely spell Naruto's death.

Flashback…

_Jiraiya and Kakashi were sitting together in a bar when Kakashi asks, "Why did you call me here so suddenly, Jiraiya-sama?" _

_The toad sage looked around before saying, "I wanted to give you a heads up on the Akatsuki. They've started their jinchuuriki hunts, so you'll have to keep out a sharp eye. Remember this Kakashi, if we fail to keep our guard up, it's not us who pays the price, it's Naruto who pays…with his life."_

End flashback…

In that one moment, Kakashi had forgotten about Itachi's true loyalties. He only thing on his mind was pure rage. Both Kurenai and Asuma were forced to jump back when Kakashi summoned a **chidori**.

The only difference was that this **chidori** was a dark violet as opposed to the normal blue color. Asuma gasped in surprise. This wasn't a regular chidori; it was Kakashi's infamous **raikiri**, the very same jutsu he was rumored to have cut a lightning bolt in half with.

Kakashi growled and said, "This place will be your final resting ground Itachi. I'll be sure to deliver your head directly to the Hokage!"

Itachi turned to his partner and said, "Kisame, our chances of leaving this place alive are drastically dimming. It would be best if we retreat."

Before anyone could move, a series of smoke bombs went off, followed by multiple thumping sounds. When the smoke cleared, Minato and Kushina were standing over the unconscious team leaders.

Kushina looked to the elder Uchiha and desperately asked, "Where is he? Where is my aniki?"

Kisame jumped to his partner's side. He took one look at Kushina and said, "Holy crap, you're alive! Didn't you die over thirteen years ago?"

Kushina waved him off and said, "That's a story for a later day, Kisame. Now, would someone like to tell me where my brother is!?"

Itachi made a hand sign and started to dissolve into a flock of crows. His last words were, "Stop looking for him, Kushina-sama. When the time comes, he will seek you out."

Kisame just laughed and said, "I'll be seeing you around, sensei. Tell Zabuza I said he's a moron."

He then laughed again as his body turned into water and fell apart. Minato sighed and said, "I hope you've got a good cover story for this."

Kushina gave her husband a sweet smile and said, "Oh, I've got plenty of em'. Also, you're sleeping on the couch until Naruto gets home."

The Yondaime quickly trailed after his wife, hoping to change her mind. After all, a week on that lumpy couch would be torture on his back. "_Note to self,_" he thought, "_plan a Father and Son day with Naruto and destroy that damned couch._"

Later in Tanzaku Gai…

As Naruto took in the sights of the festivities going on, Jiraiya handed him some cash and said, "Go enjoy the festival for a while, Naruto. I'll find us a hotel and find you later."

The two of them quickly split up, and Naruto made his way to a ramen stand. Upon entering, he looked at the chef and shouted, "Ayame nee-chan, why are you here?"

Ayame chuckled and said, "Dad and I normally come here for the festival every year to sell ramen. This year he's letting me hold down the fort by myself."

Naruto nodded and said, "That's great to hear. How about I start with an Uzumaki special?"

Ayame laughed and said, "Ten large bowls of everything, coming right up."

By the time Naruto finished eating and left, Ayame realized that she had just made five times the normal amount she usually makes during the festival. She just laughed and said, "I swear, we could sell to Naruto alone and still keep our business booming."

Only a moment later, two men walked into the stand and sat down. The shorter man said, "The Kitsune and the Koumori have made contact. The Weasel and the Shark have their heads to the sky and the moon is getting fuller."

Ayame nodded and walked to the back of the stand. Seconds later, she came out holding a scroll. She gave it to the shorter man and said, "The Koumori sends a message. The Weasel and Shark are to meet with the Kitsune and help him sharpen his claws. When the Kitsune ventures onward, the Shark will meet the Karasu while the Weasel meets the Koumori."

The two men bowed and vanished from the stand. Ayame's lingering thought was, "_He'd better get that scroll, Itachi-kun. I swear you'll be on the couch for a year if he doesn't._"

Somehow, Itachi could feel that threat coursing through his veins.

Earlier in Konoha…

Sasuke decided to head to the Hokage's office to demand for a sensei to train him when he saw Kakashi jump across a building. He thought back to the excuse Kakashi gave him earlier, and decided to follow the man and demand some answers.

The moment he entered the room, he noticed that the Jonin senseis were having a meeting. He was about to use what little sense he had and excuse himself, but a random Chūnin ran in and asked, "Is it true that Itachi is chasing after Naruto-san in Tanzaku?"

There was a pregnant pause before Sasuke bolted out the door. Kurenai glared at the man and thought, "_How did this moron become a Chūnin?_"

Later in Tanzaku…

Naruto and Jiraiya met up later at the hotel room. After checking the room for bugs, the sage quickly said, "I think I've got a lead on Tsunade. While I'm gone, you'll be meeting with Itachi. If I'm right, he'll have some info on the Akatsuki."

Naruto nodded as the pervy old man left the room. After what felt like hours passing, Naruto decided to pass the time by practicing his **Rasengan**. He had finally managed to stabilize it in just one hand when there was a knock on the door.

As he opened the door, he politely said, "It's about time you got here, Itachi. I assume you have something for me."

Itachi nodded and pulled out two scrolls. The first one was black with a red cloud seal and the other one looked like an ordinary scroll. The elder Uchiha passed them on and said, "One is from leader-sama and the other is from Cairo."

Kisame grinned and said, "If I'm right about your bro, that scroll has a potentially dangerous jutsu and a list of moves to accompany it."

Naruto nodded his thanks and said, "Itachi, it seems you have an unwanted guest. Please _try_ not to kill him."

Everyone looked down the hallway to see Sasuke glaring at his brother. He quickly activated his Sharingan and said, "Itachi, I have done nothing but hate and despise you to this very day. Now I will use that hate to end you and avenge my clan. It's time to die, Itachi!"

With that being said, he powered up a regular **chidori** and tore his way down the hall. Itachi just rolled his eyes and grabbed his brother's wrist. He waited for the **chidori** to dissipate before breaking Sasuke's hand and kicking him down the hall.

As Itachi advanced on his little brother, Kisame turned to Naruto and asked, "Shouldn't you be trying to stop him from killing your friend?"

Naruto smirked and said, "He's _**not**_ my friend. Plus I'm sure that Itachi won't kill him…yet. Also, who am I to interfere with a family squabble?"

Kisame snorted and said, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

The blonde shook his head and said, "The only way to truly enjoy this moment is in a lounge chair with a bowl of popcorn. But yeah, I'm enjoying this."

While Kisame was laughing at Naruto's joke, Itachi grabbed his brother by the throat and lifted him up. He was about to use the Tsukuyomi when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

As he turned to see Naruto shaking his head, he also noticed the walls beginning to change. He quickly knocked his brother out and jumped back. Jiraiya walked from behind a corner and said, "Someone is coming for Sasuke. You two need to get out while you can."

Itachi nodded as he grabbed Kisame and fled. Not a moment later, Gai and Zabuza crashed through a wall. Zabuza looked at Sasuke and asked, "Is he still alive?"

Naruto just kicked Sasuke in the ribs and said, "Sadly, he's not dead yet. I heard him grunt in pain."

He then looked at Zabuza and noticed that the man was no longer wearing a Konoha headband. He was now wearing the headband of Kagegakure on his right shoulder.

The former Kiri-nin saw Naruto's eyes wander and said, "I requested for a village change. At least now Kiri won't be able to bother your village about me and Haku."

Naruto nodded and said, "Do me a favor and get this waste of space out of my sight before I arrest him for reckless endangerment and outright stupidity. Also, tell Sarutobi-jiji that this moron along with Neji Hyūga, Shikamaru Nara, Hinata Hyūga, and Tenten Higurashi are to report to me once I return to the village."

Gai quickly picked up Sasuke and shouted, "Yosh! I shall return Sasuke-san to the village within four hours! If I should fail this task you have asked of me, my punishment shall be to scrub the Namikaze mansion from top to bottom!"

Naruto just pulled out a kunai and said, "Get moving before this gets lost near your kidneys."

After watching Gai and Zabuza scram, Jiraiya let out a sigh and said, "I've found Tsunade. She's currently down the street getting something to drink."

Naruto cracked his neck and said, "Time to officially meet the new Hokage."

Moments later…

As Jiraiya and his new apprentice entered the restaurant, Naruto instantly saw Tsunade, her apprentice Shizune, and their pig Tonton sitting at a table in the back. In a random moment of chance, Tsunade looked up and jokingly shouted, "Jiraiya, what the hell are you doing here? Can't a woman enjoy her vacation in peace?"

The toad sage just chuckled. His expression turned serious as he said, "Cut the crap, Tsunade. You know why I'm here. It's time to come back to the village."

The blonde woman shook her head and said, "I understand that, but I have some unfinished business here."

Naruto, who was playing with Tonton, looked over at Tsunade and said, "I've got a bad feeling about this unfinished business of yours."

Tsunade simply looked down and said, "It's Orochimaru. He wants me to heal his arms. It seems your brother did quite a number on him."

Naruto grunted and said, "It's a shame he didn't die in that fight. We'd have one less pedophile to worry about."

Tsunade let out a small laugh and said, "Jiraiya, at the end of the week, I'm going to try to kill him. If it all turns bad, I don't want Naruto or Shizune trying to interfere. This fight is only for me and you."

Naruto quickly stood up and asked, "How can you exclude me from this. I have just as much of a right to fight him as you do."

The slug princess stood up and said, "This isn't about what you do and don't have a right to do, Naruto. I just couldn't forgive myself if he attempted the **Edo Tensei** against you. Cairo was forced to battle our family and he made me promise that I would try to keep you from having to deal with that kind of trauma."

Naruto thought about the situation and said, "If I can prove to you that I'm capable enough o handle myself, will you let me fight?"

Tsunade had to admit to being curious. The moment she asked how he would prove himself though, he grabbed her by her blue obi and tossed her out of the shop. He then walked out and said, "I'll prove it by fighting you."

Tsunade dusted herself off and said, "That was a sneak move, gaki. If you want a fight, you've got one. All I need is one finger to take you down."

Naruto nodded and said, "When I beat you, you let me fight Orochimaru."

Tsunade pointed to the jewel on her neck and said, "If you can beat me, I'll even throw in this necklace."

Jiraiya stepped up and said, "I'll referee the match. This fight will continue until someone gives in or I step in. Begin fighting."

Naruto jumped back and quickly threw a pair of shuriken at Tsunade. She dodged them with ease, but tensed when she felt a chakra spike. The moment she turned around, she saw that the two shuriken had actually been **kage bunshin**.

The clones each threw a hail of shuriken before making a handsign. Suddenly, the shuriken multiplied into what seemed like hundreds. Tsunade quickly used the **kawarimi** to escape and decided to end the fight before it got too far.

As she approached Naruto, she pulled her hand into a fist and held out her index finger. The moment she extended her arm, Naruto swiftly pushed it aside and jumped back to charge a **Rasengan**. While he was charging his attack,

Tsunade turned to Jiraiya and said, "You taught him the **Rasengan**!? What the hell were you thinking in teaching him that?"

Jiraiya smirked and asked, "Who said that I taught it to him?"

Naruto took the opportunity to lunge at Tsunade while she was distracted. Sadly, the sannin saw him in the corner of her eye and slammed her fist into the ground, causing a fissure to form.

Before the fissure could reach Naruto, he jumped in the air and tried to slam his **Rasengan** into Tsunade. The moment he got in close, she grabbed his throat with one hand and used the other to slam his attack into the ground.

She then pulled him up and said, "Are you crazy!? You could've killed me with that move. Who even taught you that in the first place?"

Naruto however just smiled at the elder blonde. He quickly reached for her necklace and said, "You lose, baa-chan. The deal was that you subdue me with one finger. You used both of your hands to stop me."

Tsunade just chuckled and said, "I guess I lose this one, gaki. You'd better handle yourself next week or I'll heal you up just to kick your ass again."

Naruto nodded and said, "Orochimaru's about to learn a painful lesson on why you don't mess with the Uzumaki clan."


	16. 15: Showdown!: Rise of the Fifth Hokage

A Brother's Return

Ch.15

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons, etc…: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts: _**bold italicized**_

(): author speaking

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Konan would've blown off Tobi's head instead of just his arm.

At the end of the week, Tsunade met with Orochimaru in the exact place. When he showed up, Tsunade quickly said, "Before I heal you, I want you to promise me one thing."

Orochimaru perked up an eyebrow and said, "Of course, Tsunade. Name your price."

The medic sighed and said, "I want you to leave Konoha alone."

Orochimaru chuckled and replied, "Very well. If that is your price for healing my arms, I shall be happy to oblige."

As Tsunade neared her former teammate, a kunai imbedded itself into the ground between them. The moment Kabuto landed, he turned to his false master and said, "It's a good thing I got to you, Orochimaru-sama. That technique would've destroyed your arms even more."

The Hebi Sannin smirked and said, "So it's treason, Tsunade. I guess it _is_ fair, seeing as I never intended to keep my end of the deal."

Tsunade quickly jumped up and crashed her heel into the ground. The impact created a crater as well as destroying most of the street. Orochimaru and Kabuto managed to avoid the attack by jumping into a tree.

Tsunade jumped after them while shouting, "Come back here and die, you traitor!"

The former Konoha shinobi turned to Kabuto and said, "Watch your back, Kabuto. Even one of her punches could kill you."

Tsunade kicked down on the branch they were on, causing it to break away from the tree. Sadly for her, they managed to avoid the attack yet again. The three of them landed in the middle of a large field where Kabuto charged at Tsunade.

She tried to punch him, but he jumped out of the way before throwing a small balloon at her. When the balloon popped, it showered Tsunade with blood, causing her to freeze up.

Kabuto sneered and taunted, "Well isn't this a sight. The world's greatest medic brought down by a little blood. You're nothing more than a shell of your former self."

A new voice called out, "Oh really? If that's true, what would you call Orochi-teme?"

Everyone turned to see Naruto, Jiraiya, and Shizune rushing to Tsunade's aid. Jiraiya cracked his knuckles and said, "Shizune, I need you to take care of Tsunade-hime. Naruto, you'll have to fight Kabuto. Orochimaru is mine to deal with."

As everyone split up, Kabuto smirked and said, "You might be strong, Naruto-kun, but I doubt you're anywhere near Sasuke's level. I however am on par with the legendary Kakashi Hatake."

Naruto smirked and said, "You're right. I'm nowhere near as weak as Sasuke-teme. Also, it just so happens that I'm on par with Kakashi-sensei too. I hope you don't embarrass yourself."

Kabuto grabbed Naruto in a headlock and whispered, "Take a dive, Naruto. Orochimaru intends to use the **Edo Tensei** again."

Naruto smirked and said, "You forget that he needs you to make the hand signs. I'm sorry about this Kabuto, but this _**will**_ hurt."

With that being said, Naruto slipped out of Kabuto's grip and made a **kage bunshin**. Both he and the clone formed a **Rasengan** and shouted, "Suck my big blue balls, you Harry Potter stunt double!"

The force of the attack slammed Kabuto into a giant rock. At that point, Naruto was starting to feel his chakra drain. He also noticed that Kabuto was getting back on his feet.

When the medic fully stood up, Naruto noticed that his wounds were healing. Kabuto was about to charge in when he coughed up some blood. "_Interesting_," the medic thought, "_his jutsu managed to do both external _and_ internal damage_."

Naruto smirked at his dirty work as he fell over. Shizune, who had finally calmed her master down, quickly rushed to Naruto's aid. Orochimaru saw this and thought, "_Damn it all. That boy's becoming a serious problem. I'd be better off killing him now before the Akatsuki can get their hands on him._"

He then summoned his Kusanagi and rushed at the blonde Uzumaki. Jiraiya moved in to intercept him, but Orochimaru used his tongue to slam the toad sage into the ground.

The former sannin quickly tried to stab Naruto. However, he was surprised to see that Tsunade had taken the blow. Orochimaru frowned and said, "Tsunade, you were the one person I didn't want to kill. Do yourself a favor and get out of the way."

Tsunade just grabbed the sword and forced it out of her chest. She then glared at him and said, "Absolutely not. I will not let you reach him. It's his destiny to become Hokage and I refuse to let you get in his way."

Orochimaru sneered and asked, "Why would you be so concerned with the Hokage title? I distinctly remember you calling the position a 'fool's job'. Weren't your exact words, 'The Hokage's position is nothing more than a fool's gamble'?"

The slug princess lowered her head and said, "It's true. I did call the Hokage's position a fool's job. So I guess that means that I'm as foolish as the rest of the Hokages that came before me. From now on, I will take on the risk. I will be that foolish gambler. To protect my home, Konohagakure no Sato, I will risk my life…as the Godaime Hokage!"

Orochimaru jumped back and said, "If you wish to throw your life away so foolishly, I'll be happy to oblige you."

The hebi sannin made a quick slash with to Tsunade's chest with the Kusanagi, but she countered by punching him in the stomach.

She then rushed over to Naruto and pushed a small blue pill into his mouth. Only a second later, Naruto was starting to get back to his feet.

Naruto looked up and said, "You need to heal those wounds. Let Shizune look at you while I help ero-sennin."

From across the way, said man shouted, "I thought I told you never to call me that!"

Shizune moved to heal her master, but Tsunade said, "It'll be fine, Shizune. I'm going to show that traitor why I'm the baddest medic in the world. **Infūin: Sōzo saisei**."

Suddenly, the diamond on Tsunade's forehead started to expand until it ran across her forehead. (Go watch the fight and you'll see it.)

Once the seal markings vanished, her wounds started to close. Only a moment later, Tsunade was fully healed. Orochimaru looked on in interest and said, "That's an interesting seal, Tsunade. How does it work?"

Tsunade pointed to her forehead and said, "The seal creates a large reservoir of chakra behind my forehead. By releasing the seal, I can use this chakra to replace any damaged cells within seconds. In short, cut me all you want, but you won't bring me down."

Tsunade then thought, "_What I didn't mention is that it slowly saps away at my life force every time I use it._"

Kabuto then shouts out, "Orochimaru-sama, look out behind you!"

The snake user managed to dodge the incoming blade that was aimed for his head. Naruto growled and said, "It's time to kick this into high gear."

He quickly bit his thumb and smeared some blood on his hand. The snake sannin jumped over to Kabuto and ripped the bandages off of his left arm, revealing the summoning tattoo.

Both Jiraiya and Tsunade smeared a little of their blood onto their palms as well. Suddenly, there were four shouts of, "**Ninpō: Kuchiyose no jutsu,**" followed by four large explosions.

Once the smoke cleared, there in the field stood the legendary three summon animals and a giant grey and white wolf.

The toad boss, Gamabunta, looked around and said, "**Tsunade and Katsuyu as well as Orochimaru and Manda, this is truly a sight to behold. It looks like the old squad is together again. I might just cry.**"

Jiraiya snorted and said, "Save the sarcasm, 'Bunta. This isn't a social call."

The large toad looked to his left and said, "**It looks like we have a newcomer to the field. Do you have a name to go by?**"

The wolf grunted and said, "**I am Fenrir, boss of the Wolf summons.**"

Jiraiya did a double take and said, "Is that really you, Fenrir? What happened to your old man?"

Fenrir growled and said, "**He was ambushed in his old age by those bastard snakes. While he won the fight, the injuries he sustained were too great.**"

Manda let out a cold laugh and said, "**I really wish I could've watched him die. Better yet, I should've eaten him for killing my son. Orochimaru, you can forget the sacrifices this time around. Devouring this mutt will be payment enough.**"

Gamabunta placed a webbed hand on his blade and said, "**My wife's been bugging me about a snake skin wallet. It looks like she'll get it today.**"

Tsunade stared down her former teammate and said, "After today, there will be one less Sannin in the world."

Scene change…

Cairo was sitting in his office when a crow landed on his desk. He smiled at the bird and said, "You might as well come in, Itachi. You're a welcomed guest in this village."

Seconds later, a flock of crows filled the room. The birds all converged on one spot before forming a large shadow. Without hesitation, the shadow fell away to reveal Itachi in his Akatsuki outfit.

Cairo tossed him two scrolls and said, "Get those to Kabuto in Oto. Tell him that we need to stall for more time. He'll know what to do with the scrolls."

Itachi nodded and vanished. The Yamikage smirked and said, "Everything's going according to plan. Watch out Madara, once I'm done with Danzo-teme and Lord Voldem…Orochimaru, I'm taking you down."

Suddenly, one of his summoning seals started to glow. He pulled back his sleeve to see the Wolf seal glowing. Pushing his chakra through the seal, he instantly felt Fenrir's chakra on the mortal plane.

Smiling, he unrolled his sleeve and thought, "_I feel sorry for the dumb bastard that's fighting Fenrir. On second thought, no I don't._"

Scene change…

There was a deep silence before Katsuyu took the initiative to attack. She quickly shouted, "**Acid slime.**"

Manda managed to avoid the attack by slithering behind a large rock. He then quickly wrapped the large slug in his coils.

Gamabunta tried to stab the snake with his large tanto, but Manda dodged the blade and tossed it away from the toad boss. Tsunade jumped down and shouted, "Do it now, Katsuyu!"

The slug nodded and said, "**Katsuyu great fission**!"

Manda watched as his prey broke apart into thousands of tiny slugs. Jiraiya made some handsigns and said, "Hey 'Bunta, give me some oil."

Naruto looked down and said, "Fenrir, get me next to the chief."

The large wolf nodded and jumped next to the toad boss. Naruto quickly pulled out a fuma shuriken and made a single handsign. He then said, "**Ninpo: Yūrei no jutsu**."

At first glance, it appeared that the jutsu didn't do much. Naruto then unfolded the large shuriken and started to charge his wind chakra through it.

When he finished, the shuriken's blades were at least four times longer. Only Jiraiya noticed that the wind blades were actually passing through his apprentice while they spun. The realization also made him slightly understand the nature of the jutsu Naruto had used.

Naruto then turned to Jiraiya and said, "When you unleash your attack, I'll throw mine to give it a power boost."

Jiraiya quickly said, "**Katon: Gamyu endan**," before unleashing a torrent of fire at Manda.

Gamabunta quickly spat out a massive wave of oil to be ignited by the flames. Naruto cocked his arm back and shouted, "Burn in hell, you scaly bastard," before throwing the shuriken into the fire.

All of a sudden, the flames turned bluish white before wrapping themselves around the shuriken. The moment the large flame attack connected with Manda, it exploded in a twister of white fire.

Naruto used a wind jutsu to clear the smoke, but was surprised at what he found. Instead of Manda's burning corpse, a snake skin was slowly burning. "Ero-sennin," Naruto shouted, "he's coming in your direction!"

Jiraiya and Gamabunta felt the ground in front of them start to shake. Acting on instinct, the chief toad grasped the first thing that emerged from the ground. To his surprise, it was Manda's tail instead of his head.

Manda popped up from the ground behind them and tried to bite down on Gamabunta. However, the toad's tanto pinned his mouth to the ground before he could make his attack. Tsunade landed on top of the blade and said, "Keep your trap shut, you filthy snake."

Manda hissed as he said, "**Orochimaru, I would devour all of you right now if my mouth weren't trapped shut. Luckily for you, I won't be eating solid foods for a good while. The next time you call me, you'd better have at least 300 sacrifices ready for me.**"

The giant snake quickly dispelled vanished in a burst of smoke. Katsuyu looked down and said, "**I've run out of chakra, Tsunade-sama. It's time for me to depart.**"

"**I've got to get moving too, Jiraiya. It's a shame I couldn't get that wallet for my wife**" was Gamabunta's reply.

Naruto jumped off of Fenrir and said, "Thank you for assisting me, Fenrir. Now it's time to finish things."

Orochimaru watched the other three summoned beasts disappear. He quickly turned to Kabuto and said, "It's time to go, Kabuto. Today was a complete failure. However, I will have my arms back."

Kabuto nodded as he and his so called master sank into the ground. Tsunade grunted and said, "It's kind of sad that he left before I could smack him around a little more."

"Let it go, Tsunade-hime," said Jiraiya, "You'll get another chance. Meanwhile, we need to get back to the village on the double. I'll send a message ahead to sensei."

Naruto chuckled and said, "The old lecher's right for once. I have people to see, punishments to dish out, and a girlfriend to make out with."

Tsunade grinned at Naruto's attitude. Her lingering thought was, "_This boy…will be a fine Hokage one day._"

She shook off her thoughts and said, "Let's get home, gaki. I've got fogies to scare, asses to kick, and lots of sake to drink."

Amegakure…

As Pein looked out to the village, he heard Konan entering the room. The blue haired woman bowed and said, "Nagato, when do you think you will meet with your sister?"

Pein motioned her forward and said, "Soon, my dear friend. I have longed to see Kushina-chan, but I am still weak. I need Tsunade's assistance if I am to regain my strength."

A second later, a crow flew into the building with a scroll. Konan read the scroll before handing it to her friend. Pein looked it over and said, "This is fortunate news. Konan, in one week, you will go to Konoha and find Naruto. Have him bring Tsunade to our last meeting place. Also, tell him that I want him to bring Cairo with them."

Konan bowed and said, "It will be done," before dissolving into a cluster of paper butterflies.

As the God of Ame looked to the cloudy sky, his only thought was, "_Madara, your days are numbered and your time is coming. The Uzumaki family will have its justice, and the world will soon be at peace._"


	17. 16: Nagato's Health and Cairo's Decision

A Brother's Return

Ch.16

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts, ect…: _**bold italicized**_

(): author speaking

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Shikamaru wouldn't find everything to be so 'troublesome'.

When Naruto and company made it to the gates, Izumo gawked at the addition to the group. He nudged Kotetsu and said, "Dude, look, it's Tsunade-sama."

Kotetsu rubbed his eyes and said, "If she's coming back to the village with Naruto, you can be sure that heads are about to roll."

They waited for the group to pass before Kotetsu said, "I'll grab the popcorn."

Izumo laughed and said, "I'll get the chips."

Kotetsu grinned and said, "Just don't forget the dip this time."

Council room…

Sayuri sighed as the civilians and the three stooges waited for Sarutobi and the shinobi council to arrive. She looked around and screeched, "Where are they? We've been waiting here for over an hour."

A few minutes later, Hiruzen walked in followed by the shinobi council. The civilians sneered as Kushina and Minato took their respective seats. Sarutobi took the head seat and said, "The reason I have called you all here today is to announce that the Godaime Hokage has arrived in the village. She should be here shortly."

Tsume smirked and asked, "Who exactly _**is**_ the new Hokage, if you don't mind me asking?"

Suddenly, the doors to the room flew open and a voice said, "Make way for the new Hokage. I'm back in action."

Everyone turned to see Tsunade and co. strolling into the room. The busty blonde took the hat from her sensei and said, "I'm the Godaime Hokage. If you've got a problem with that, that's too damn bad!"

Tsume leaned over to Hiashi and whispered, "Tsunade's in charge!? This should make for some excitement."

Hiashi nodded and said, "I agree. It's about time for a few heads to roll."

Even the ever lazy Shikaku woke up and smirked. He turned to Inoichi and said, "Now _**this**_ is something to wake up and see. Tsunade-sama's not a chick to mess with."

Minato and Kushina just smirked from their positions. Sayuri stood up and said, "What makes you think that you can just waltz in and take over the position. The law clearly states that you have to be an active shinobi to be eligible for the Hokage position. Last time I checked, you haven't done any missions in thirteen years."

Hiruzen smirked and said, "That's where you're wrong, Sayuri-san. Ever since Tsunade returned before the exams, she's been doing non-stop missions."

A rather large (fatter than Jirobo) man sneered and asked, "Why weren't _**we**_ informed of this?"

Sarutobi shrugged and said, "You're civilians. Matters of the shinobi council are not meant to be discusses with you."

Gates of Hell…

Bayonetta and Jeanne plopped down at the bar. Things had been a little too quiet around their neck of the woods. Just as Jeanne was about to order a drink, Rodin set his towel down and said, "I didn't want to tell you this, ladies, but we've got a situation on our hands."

Jeanne snorted and asked, "What's got you in such a helpful mood, Rodin? Is business suddenly booming?"

Rodin chuckled and said, "I guess those boys are gettin' to me. All jokes aside, I've got a tip that our little friends are getting more and more active."

Bayonetta grabbed one of her guns and said, "Just point us in the right direction. It shouldn't take too long."

The bald man picked up a glass and wiped it off. He then set it back down and said, "There's more to the story. It seems that the so called 'heavenly gates' are opening in the Elemental countries and those winged rats are pulling out every stop."

Cereza set her drink down and asked, "Should we inform Cairo about this? He will need to know, after all."

The weapons dealer smirked. "It's a good thing you asked," he said. "I'm movin' the bar's location to Kage and placing portals in Konoha and everywhere else. Unlike last time, I'll be giving you a more direct hand in the fight. Hell, I might even get off my ass and do some actual work. Also, my old deal also stands. Bring in any halos you collect and I'll hook you ladies up."

Jeanne nodded and said, "Just don't expect us to buy that damn ticket. Give me a scotch on the rocks."

Rodin fixed her drink and said, "Lady, if I'm right about this (he usually is), you'll actually need that ticket by the end of it all. Now, hold onto your asses. We're about to move."

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light. When the light faded, everything looked the same. Rodin then said, "I changed my mind and split the store in two locations. Over there are two doors. Take the left to get to Kage and the right one to Konoha. I made sure to tweak Cairo's door so that not everyone can just waltz into his village. Either door you enter will lead you back here. Now, go score a brother some halos."

Council meeting…

Sarutobi finally shut everyone up and said, "Tsunade is the new Hokage. Get over it. This meeting is adjourned."

As everyone left the room, there was a flash of light outside. When the light vanished, everyone saw a new building sitting in what was once an abandoned lot.

Cairo grinned and said, "It looks like you've got a new business, Sarutobi-jiji. Let's go see what Rodin's up to."

Before anyone could move, a swarm of paper butterflies filled the room. The butterflies circled together and took on a human shape. When the paper stopped moving, Konan gave a polite bow and said, "Pardon my intrusion, but Nagato wishes to meet with Tsunade-sama and Cairo-sama. It is a matter of the upmost importance."

Kushina sighed and said, "He'll meet my kids, yet he refuses to see me. I am so gonna smack him for this."

Konan shook her head and said, "It's not that, Kushina-sama. Nagato simply wishes to be in better health before he sees you. For that to happen, he requires the assistance of your children and Tsunade-sama."

Naruto nodded and said, "I did promise that I'd find a way to help him. Tsunade baa-chan, you're the best medic I know of. You have to help him. He is family, after all."

The new Hokage sighed and said, "You're lucky I just restocked on medical supplies. Let's go. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can help him."

Cairo held up a hand. "Wait," he said, "let me go grab something that might help him. Send Konan back for me once you've done a diagnostic on him."

Konan nodded as she, Tsunade, and Naruto vanished. Cairo then chuckled and said, "Everyone, we're going to the Gates of Hell."

A few minutes later…

Cairo and his current group entered the bar, only to see Rodin at the front. Cairo walked up and said, "Give me an iced tea on the rocks and drive that sucker through Long Island."

Rodin chuckled as he fixed the blonde's order. Kushina walked up to the bar and asked, "Cairo, what is this place and who was that?"

Cairo grabbed his drink and said, "We're at the Gates of Hell bar. The man is Rodin. He's the bar owner and a weapon's dealer. He's also a decent guy once you've spent about $500."

Rodin smirked and said, "Watch it, kid. I might just blush. So, what brings you to down to my neck of the woods? I know good and well that it's not just for a drink."

He waited for the large man to finish his order before saying, "I need to restock on _**Mandragora Root**_ suckers…the larger ones if you have them. Also, I'll need some of the Magic Boosters. If I'm right, they might be of some use."

Rodin reached under the bar and pulled out two boxes. Inside the first box were seven green suckers with a leaf-flower pattern. The second box held seven purple suckers shaped like large butterflies. Rodin slid the boxes forward and said, "That'll be 5600 halos. These things just don't come cheap anymore."

Cairo pulled out a black card and handed it over to his supplier. Rodin grabbed the card and ran it through the register. He then handed the card back and asked, "Will you need anything else? By the way, Bayonetta's still pissed that I won't put a chainsaw on her arm."

The young Kage laughed and said, "She's still asking for one of those!? I thought she gave up on that dream."

He then stood up and said, "I've got to get out of here, Rodin. Keep me posted on what goes on."

As Rodin nodded, Cairo turned to the group and said, "You guys should familiarize yourselves with Rodin. If any news comes through, he's always the first to know. For the moment however, we should leave. There's nothing going on yet."

Outside…

As the group left the bar, a paper butterfly landed on Cairo's shoulder. He turned to Kushina and said, "I've got to go. I promise that we'll help him."

Before Kushina could reply, Cairo vanished in a swirl of paper. Sarutobi just shrugged and turned back to the bar while muttering something about 'needing a drink'.

Mountain range…

The real Nagato was laid out over a table while Naruto and Tsunade tried to heal him. Naruto could see Tsunade starting to sweat. He knew that she was having a hard time dealing with a case of his nature.

Suddenly, a whirlwind of paper alerted them to Konan's return with Cairo in tow. Cairo ran over to the table and pulled out the box of purple suckers. He quickly took one out and shoved it in Tsunade's mouth.

She gave him a questionable look and asked, "What am I supposed to do with candy? In case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to heal this man."

Cairo shook his head and said, "Eat it. You're suffering from chakra exhaustion. If I'm right, that sucker in your mouth should give you a decent boost."

Tsunade just frowned and bit down. However, as soon as she bit down, she could feel her chakra returning faster than ever. Cairo took the loss of fatigue as a good sign and pulled out another purple sucker as well as a green one.

He then turned to Nagato and said, "Open your mouth. These should help your recovery. The moment you bite down, I want you to use your chakra absorption technique."

He then turned to Naruto and said, "When he bites down, channel your yokai instead of your normal chakra."

Nagato looked at Konan and said, "Konan, bring me two of my chakra rods and stab one into each arm above the elbow."

If this request worried the blunette, she didn't show any signs of it. Quickly grabbing two thin rods, she inserted them into their appropriated places. Naruto and Cairo made to grab a rod, but Cairo stopped Tsunade's current attempts at healing.

He placed her hands on Nagato's forehead and said, "Release the **Yin seal** and use that chakra to heal him. We'll give you a moment to prepare, but we all have to act at the same time. If even one of us slips up, we'll have to start over."

Tsunade made a hand sign and said, "**Yin seal: Kai!**"

As the seal dissolved, she placed her hands back in place and said, "I'm ready."

Cairo nodded and said, "We'll act on three. One…two…_three_!"

As Nagato bit down on both suckers, he could feel a spike in his chakra as well as the pain in his body start to recede. He then activated his chakra absorption technique as Naruto, Cairo, and Tsunade flooded his pathways with chakra.

Konan watched in awe as Nagato's near-atrophied body slowly began to fill out. She watched as his muscles built themselves to a healthy level. The skin that was hugging his ribs expanded away from them and his arms and legs became fuller.

His face also filled out and both his hair and skin began to regain color. Cairo then shouted, "Everybody stop!"

As the three medics pulled back, Nagato ended his technique. Cairo huffed and puffed as he pulled out three more green suckers and passed them around. Konan, however, ran up to Pein and said, "How are you feeling, Nagato?"

The redhead pulled the rods out of his arms and sat up. He then looked at his arms and said, "To be honest Konan, I feel…amazing. I haven't felt this good in a long time."

He then turned to move off of the table, but Cairo stopped him. He handed him another green sucker and said, "Eat that before you try to walk around. If you don't, you'll be falling with every step you take."

Nagato nodded and said, "Thank you all for this. I really feel like a new man. Now I can do the one thing that I never got to do. Konan, once we get back to Ame, I'm going to begin my kenjutsu training. I'll be damned if I let my imouto lord her sword skills over me for any longer."

Cairo chuckled and said, "Nagato ji-san, you've got a long way to go before you match kaa-chan with a sword. In fact, you would need about twenty years of training just to match _me_."

Pein chuckled and said, "You seem to forget that almost every Uzumaki uses the same jutsu to cut down on training time."

Cairo smirked as all four Uzumaki shinobi said, "**Kage bunshin no jutsu.**"

Tsunade grabbed Naruto and said, "We need to get back to the village. Cairo, are you coming with us?"

Cairo nodded and said, "We'll keep in touch, ji-san. Also, you should pay kaa-chan a visit before she tries to hunt you down."

Nagato nodded as his family vanished. He then turned to Konan and said, "Now, we can truly begin working to achieve Yahiko's dream of a better world."

Konan smiled as she placed a hand on Nagato's shoulder. "We will make him proud, Nagato."

Konoha…

Sarutobi looked up from his desk as he looked at the shinobi Naruto had requested to see. Standing in front of him were Sasuke Uchiha, Neji Hyuuga, Hinata Hyuuga, Tenten Higurashi, and Shikamaru Nara.

Shika looked up at his leader and said, "If you don't mind my asking, why were we called here?"

Sarutobi nodded and said, "You were all called here at Naruto's request."

Sasuke scoffed and asked, "Why should I answer the call of that dobe? I'm an Uchiha. If anything, he should answer to _**my**_ commands."

A new voice said, "You really don't have a right to speak, Uchiha. After all, you're only here because I'm filing a report against you. Also, as a commanding officer, you do what I tell you."

Everyone turned to see Tsunade and the twins behind them. Naruto then stepped forward and said, "Sarutobi-jiji, I wish to press charges against one Sasuke Uchiha for reckless endangerment, abandonment of his post, and downright idiocy."

Hiruzen sighed and said, "Naruto-kun, you know that the Nidaime passed a law stating that stupidity is no longer to be considered a crime. Oh, how I curse the day sensei passed that stupid law."

Cairo grinned and said, "You do realize that Tsunade ba-chan can revoke that law now that she's the new Hokage."

Sarutobi gasped in shock. He couldn't believe that he had forgotten a law like that. It was the law that stated 'When a new Kage is elected, he/she is allowed to change any five existing laws'.

The old man cleared his throat and said, "Getting back on point, what proof do you have of these accusations?"

Naruto pulled out a scroll and said, "The teme left the village without permission, interfered with an A-ranked mission that he was not assigned to, and endangered both his life as well as mine by recklessly trying to attack his brother."

Sarutobi nodded and said, "Sasuke, how do you plead?"

The Uchiha scoffed and said, "I don't have to explain my actions to any of you."

Tsunade sneered and said, "Seeing as how this was Naruto's mission that was tampered with, I say we let him choose Sasuke's punishment."

Sarutobi grinned and said, "That's a splendid idea, Tsunade-chan. Naruto-kun, what do you think Sasuke's punishment should be?"

Naruto took one look at Sasuke and said, "I've got a punishment worse than death. I request that Sasuke wear one of Gai-sensei's spandex suits for the next two months."

Everyone except Cairo and Tsunade, who were bowled over in laughter, were forced to pick their jaws off of the floor. Hiruzen bit back his laugh and said, "Your punishment shall be done. Sasuke Uchiha, for one month you will wear a green spandex…"

Naruto cut him off and said, "I never said it would be green. He has to wear a bright pink one with lacy frills on the sleeves and neck, as well as the words 'springtime of youth' glittered on the front."

That was the killing blow. Everyone except Sasuke hit the floor in laughter. Even the ever-silent Neji was laughing. Sasuke just huffed and stormed out of the office.

After the laughter stopped, Cairo said, "Sarutobi-jiji, I want you to call together teams seven through ten and have them assemble in the stadium. Also, make sure that kaa-san, tou-san, the pervert, and Anko nee-chan are there."

Without waiting for a reply, the Yamikage vanished. Naruto then said, "Now that Sasuke's been dealt with, I want you all to know why you were called here. However, I won't tell you until the teams assemble."

Sarutobi pressed his intercom and said, "Yoshino-chan, I'll be out of the office for a while. Make sure those old bats don't get in here."

Yoshino quickly replied, "_Of course, Hokage-sama. Also, would you be so kind as to tell my lazy son to wake up? I know he's sleeping in there against the wall._"

Sarutobi chuckled and said, "We should all get moving. After all, I can't appear to be as late as Kakashi."

Stadium…

Kurenai watched the teams all come together with their senseis. She was about to ask Asuma what was happening when she saw Minato, Kushina, Jiraiya, and Anko show up.

Anko quickly walked up and said, "Hey Kurenai, you got any idea why we got called here?"

"I'm as far in the dark about this as you are, Anko," said Kurenai.

Asuma walked up and said, "Kurenai, have you noticed that each team is missing a student or two?"

She looked over to the stadium doors and said, "They're not missing. They're over there with Hokage-sama."

As the rest of the group filled in, Sakura screeched out, "Hokage-sama, why did you call us all here?"

Sarutobi shook his head. "It was not my request that you all be here. The Yamikage-dono requested that you all come to meet him."

He then pointed to the stands where Cairo, Raven, and the gennin team from Kagegakure were all standing. Cairo made a silent command, causing his shinobi to all jump down from their place in the stands.

He then shunshined down to the crowd and said, "Greetings, Konoha shinobi. I have called you all here for an important reason."

Sakura gasped and said, "Are you changing your mind and requesting that Sasuke-kun be promoted?"

Cairo laughed behind his mask and said, "No. What gave you that idea? I called you all here to share in a privilege that only two of you have ever experienced. But first, I believe that Naruto-kun has something to say."

Naruto cleared his throat and said, "Hinata and Neji Hyuuga, Shikamaru Nara, and Tenten Higurashi; I have spoken with the Yamikage about the four of you. At my personal request, the four of you have been selected to receive a sensei from Kagegakure."

Anko stepped up and asked, "Pardon me, Yamikage-sama, but didn't you mention something about a special privilege?"

Cairo was glad that she didn't give him away. He then turned to Raven and nodded. As she made a single hand sign, a large black portal opened in the middle of the arena.

Cairo turned back to the others and said, "I, the Shodaime Yamikage, hereby invite you all into Kagegakure, the Hidden Shadow village."


	18. 17: Welcome to the Shadow Village

A Brother's Return

Ch.17

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts, ect…: _**bold italicized**_

(): author speaking

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, I'd be wearing Manda as a new pair of boots.

Everyone, save Cairo and his shinobi were completely shocked. Not only were they going to visit the secretive Shadow Village, Naruto had actually petitioned a foreign Kage to train some of his friends. The scariest thing being that said Kage actually agreed.

Kurenai made a polite gesture and asked, "Excuse me, Yamikage-sama, but why would you be so willing to train our students when you barely know them?"

Cairo chuckled under his mask and said, "It's a simple answer, Kurenai-san. Naruto-kun came to me and asked this favor for his friends because he sees that they all work hard. It also helped his case that he had the backing of one of my most prominent shinobi."

Sakura frowned and asked, "Who in their right mind would vouch for Naruto-baka? I bet he had to pay someone to do it for him."

The Yamikage shunshined in front of the girl and said, "You should watch your tongue when speaking to a higher-up. If you're not careful, you'll end up embarrassing your village. To answer your question, however, Naruto-kun's backer was none other than Cairo Uzumaki."

Almost everyone looked confused at this. Few of them knew that Naruto had any family left. Those who did had different reactions. Kakashi, Tsunade. Jiraiya, and Sarutobi were surprised at the fact that Cairo was letting outsiders into his village. Sasuke was jealous that Naruto seemed to be getting special treatment. Sakura, blind fangirl that she is, thought Naruto was trying to appear to look better than her precious Sasuke-kun.

Kakashi cleared his throat and said, "Yamikage-sama, I thought you didn't allow outsiders into your village."

Asuma turned to his fellow jonin and asked, "How would you know that, Kakashi? It's not like _**you've**_ been there before."

The masked jonin gave an eye-smile and said, "Actually Asuma, I have been to Kage before. How do you think I knew about their defenses?"

The younger Sarutobi nodded as he remembered Kakashi's words during the chunnin exams. Cairo clapped his hands together to regain everyone's attention. He pointed to the portal and said, "If you intend to come, you need to walk through the portal now. Once I close it, you'll have no way to get to the village."

After a moment of thought, the Konoha shinobi filed into the portal. Cairo then snapped his fingers to close it before vanishing with his team.

Kagegakure…

Nyiome and Shiroso were waiting at the front gates when a large portal opened. Out of the portal came the shinobi from Konoha. As the portal closed, everyone took in their surroundings. (Seeing as I don't feel like trying to describe the place, imagine Konoha if it were five times larger.)

Shiroso stepped up and said, "Welcome to the Hidden Shadow Village. My name is…"

He was cut off when Sakura said, "You're that guy who was with Naruto-baka's brother. Why are you here?"

Shiroso ignored her and said, "As I was saying; I am Shiroso Hanzaki and this is my partner Nyiome Yagayu. We were instructed to wait with you until our leader arrives."

Without warning, Cairo and his group materialized next to Shiroso. The Yamikage turned to Shiroso and said, "Thank you for waiting for us Shiroso. The two of you are…Nyiome, when did you cut your hair?"

Nyiome's new hair style now seemed to emulate Nagato's hair. She just smiled as Cairo dismissed them. He then turned to Naruto's group and said, "If you'll all follow me, I'll introduce you to a few people."

As they were walking down the street, a blue ball suddenly rolled in front of the group. Cairo stopped the ball with his feet and watched as a small red-haired child ran over to him. He then crouched down and asked, "Did you lose your ball again, Yuso-chan?"

The little boy shook his head and said, "Those bullies took it from me and threw it."

Cairo handed him the ball and said, "Did they now? Well, let's go see what we can do about that."

He then walked over to a group of laughing children and said, "Hello minna-san."

The four boys instantly straightened up and said, "Good afternoon, Yamikage-sama."

Cairo crouched down again and politely said, "Yuso-chan tells me that you were being mean to him. I believe you owe him an apology."

The first boy looked down and said, "We're sorry, Yuso. We were just jealous that you managed to get the last ball today. I hope we didn't make you too angry with us."

Cairo smiled under his mask and said, "Now that that's been resolved, how about I treat you all to ice-cream later?"

All five boys started to cheer, but one of them saw Kakashi and said, "Look guys, scarecrow-sama came back."

The five children crowded around Kakashi while trying to give him a hug. One of the boys pulled out a pen and a small book. He looked up and asked, "Can I have your autograph, scarecrow-sama?"

Kakashi tried to say no, but the boy used the dreaded puppy eyes to break his resolve. As Kakashi signed his book, the boy noticed the others in the group.

He then took his autograph book and pushed it at Minato, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, which made Kushina laugh until the child pushed it at her. While signing, she looked at her husband and said, "Say a word and I _**will**_ kill you."

The boy then saw Naruto and said, "Guys, I found Naruto-sama. He's actually here in the village. Naruto-sama is actually here."

The young boy had been so loud; it caused people to come out of their homes to investigate. As people laid their eyes on Naruto, someone suddenly shouted, "Everyone spread the word! Naruto-sama has come to Kagegakure!"

The rapidly increasing crowd suddenly broke into a thunderous applause. Cairo clapped his hands together twice and said, "Everyone, go back to your business. You can fangasm over him later."

When the crowd finally dissipated, Cairo sighed and said, "I suppose a lot of you are wondering what that was all about."

It seemed that Sakura would be the one to open her trap…_**again**_. "Why were all of those people cheering for Naruto-baka when they didn't cheer for Sasuke-kun? Sasuke-kun deserves the fame more than that loser."

Kakashi quickly said, "Yamikage-sama, please forgive my gennin for speaking out of turn. It seems that she doesn't realize when to be quiet."

Cairo waved him off and said, "I'll explain what just happened later. For now, I'll be introducing you to some very special people. If you would all follow me to the Eclipse, you'll be meeting those people I mentioned in the Stadium."

Kakashi grinned under his blue mask. He had seen the Stadium before and was more than prepared for what was coming next. His only hope was that his group would be able to react and adapt.

If not; this, in his opinion, would be the perfect opportunity for two of his students to be forced into early retirement.

Unknown location…

Cairo led the group to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Sakura looked at him and asked, "Why are we at a warehouse that looks so rundown?"

Cairo sighed and said, "I really think you should keep your mouth shut, Sakura-san. Your disrespect is bringing shame to your village, your Hokage, and your sensei. Now, if you'd be so kind as to close your face hole, I can show you why I brought you here."

He then held his hand on the door and pushed his chakra into it. Without warning, a smooth female voice chimed out, "Welcome to the Eclipse, Yamikage-sama. How many are in your group for today?"

Cairo cleared his throat and said, "It's a total of sixteen newcomers, seven familiars, and one ninken."

A ding was heard before the voice replied, "Very well, Yamikage-sama. Would you like me to explain the rules and procedures of the Eclipse?"

Cairo grinned and said, "No. They'll find out once they go inside."

The door then slid itself open. As everyone prepared to walk inside, Cairo stopped them and pulled out a list. He passed it to the Sandaime and said, "Before you're allowed in, you have to sign this wavier. It basically states that any injuries, accidents, or deaths that occur to your group can't be pinned on my village. In short, whatever happens is your own fault."

He waited until everyone signed before stepping out of the way. Once everyone filed in, the voice said, "Please enjoy your stay at the Stadium. Have fun," before the door closed itself.

The inside of the building wasn't anything like the Konoha group expected. Instead of an abandoned building, the inside actually looked like a large cavern with a system of tunnels.

Cairo took the lead again and said, "We're all going down the middle tunnel. If any of you stray off the path, you'll find yourself out of this village before you even realize that I found you."

He then turned around and began to walk forward. After a few minutes of walking, Shino stepped forward and said, "Pardon me, but how far does this tunnel lead?"

Cairo looked back and said, "We've already reached the end of the line."

He pointed to a pair of doors and said, "Our destination lies behind those doors. Once you go in, you'll find a group of people waiting."

The Yamikage tapped on the doors twice, causing them to slide open. Just before the doors slid apart, Cairo casually pulled out his Sais and blocked an incoming sword attack.

He then smirked and said, "Ryu-san, you might be one of my best warriors, but getting your butt kicked in there isn't grounds to try and fight out here."

Cairo then kicked the black garbed man back into the room and said, "Let's go in and see who's killing each other today."

Everyone but Cairo and Kakashi gasped at the sight before them. The entire room seemed to be more than three times as large as the chunnin exam stadium in Konoha. In the center of the arena, the man dubbed Ryu was currently clashing blades with a man in strange black and orange armor.

Naruto looked at the man while wondering if he could get a set of armor like that. Hinata nudged him in the arm and said, "Look at that man's sword. I think it's glowing."

Upon closer observation via byakugan, Hinata saw that the blade was covered in seals and pulsing with orange lightning. Cairo motioned to the group and said, "Let's move in closer so we can watch the fight better."

Kakashi pulled a scroll seemingly out of thin air and said, "I've got a better idea. I haven't had a good kenjutsu match in a long time."

He then opened the scroll and unsealed the ninjato he used in his Anbu days. Cairo looked at him and said, "You've been waiting for a rematch with Genshin-san for a while now. Haven't you Kakashi?"

The jonin revealed his sharingan and said, "You know me so well, Yamikage-sama. I've been secretly training for this."

Cairo nodded and said, "In that case, I think you should wear _**that**_ for a more nostalgic feeling."

Kakashi's eyes widened as he realized what Cairo meant by '_**that**_'. He opened the scroll further and unsealed his old Anbu mask. Hiruzen gasped and said, "Kakashi, I thought you retired that mask."

Kakashi slipped on his old mask and replied, "My old squad gave it to me as a going away gift. I've been saving it for a special occasion. Right now, I can't think of anything more special."

He then channeled raiton chakra through his blade and jumped down into the arena. Cairo smiled and said, "This should be interesting, but two on one doesn't seem fair. Let's get down there and even the odds."

Arena floor…

Genshin smirked and said, "Ryu-san, your skills do nothing but continue to grow. Even now I find myself hard pressed to fend you off."

Ryu nodded and said, "I appreciate your words, Genshin-san. Sadly for you, this match is about to get a lot harder."

Genshin quickly jumped back to avoid Kakashi's incoming slash. He gave the Konoha jonin a once over. "Kakashi Hatake," he said, "it's a pleasure to do battle with you again, my old friend."

Kakashi slid into a stance and said, "Trust me Genshin, the pleasure is mine. I owe you payback for what you did to me three years ago."

Arena stands…

Asuma looked at the Yamikage and asked, "What exactly did he do to Kakashi?"

Raven smirked and said, "After cutting Kakashi-san's 'Icha Icha' book into three pieces, he cut Kakashi's pants to the point of looking like women's underwear."

There was a pregnant pause followed by the sounds of everyone except Sasuke and Sakura laughing. Anko got to her feet and said, "Hold on a minute. Why is the Yamikage just letting Kakashi interrupt an ongoing match?"

Karina hopped up and said, "It's simple. The only way to keep a match from being interrupted is if you request for a private match. If not, all matches become a no holds-barred free-for-all. The only rule we have is that you can't cripple or kill your opponents."

To prove her point, she grabbed a kunai with a mid-grade exploding tag attached and tossed it at Ryu. Sakura, who was focused on Sasuke, looked at Karina and said, "That wasn't very nice of Kakashi-sensei to interrupt that fight. You're not any better by throwing an exploding tag at them."

Blackfire sighed and said, "I'm just gonna ignore her. As I was saying, here in the Stadium, we constantly battle to hone our skills and perfect our teamwork. If you'll excuse me, I want in on this one."

She quickly shunshined down to the arena floor and stood next to Genshin. Sakura looked at Cairo and said, "Go down there and stop her."

Cairo gave a blank stare and said, "No, I don't think I will."

Sakura groaned and said, "You're the Kage of the village. Are you telling me that you're going to let her just interrupt the fight!?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am," was Cairo's reply.

Sakura got in his face and said, "You obviously don't know how to properly run a village. This village needs someone like Sasuke-kun to lead them instead of a pathetic screw-up like you."

Before anyone could react, Naruto pointed one of his guns at Sakura's throat. He looked the girl in the eye and said, "Listen to me, gennin. During our whole time here, you've done nothing but bring shame to our village. Now you have the audacity to insult the Yamikage in his own home village!? A village, might I remind you, that he personally invited us to when he didn't have to. If you so much as open your mouth again before we get back to Konoha, I'm going to take this gun and…how did Cereza-sensei put it…oh yeah, '_**bust a cap in yo' ass'!**_ Do I make myself clear?"

Sakura could only nod as Naruto removed his gun and walked over to Hinata. Sakura growled and thought, "_Who does he think he is giving threats to me like that? I'll make sure that my mother hears about this. And when did he become friends with Hinata? I bet he's just using her to try to make me jealous. Well it's not gonna work because my heart belongs to Sasuke-kun._" (That girl's got issues.)

Sakura looked at the laughing couple and thought, "_Maybe I can use this to my advantage. I'll get Naruto to dump Hinata by pretending to like him. Once I've got him under my thumb, I'll use him to make Sasuke-kun so jealous that he'll be forced to confess his love for me. It's a foolproof plan. Soon, Sasuke-kun will be mine._" (Correction, this chick is straight cracked in the head. If anyone's reading this, I want you to dial the funny farm and tell them their maximum security patient escaped.)

What little Ms. Whack Job never realized was that her insane thoughts were being heard by Ino. The blonde frowned at her now former friend and thought, "_Sakura's gone off the deep end. I'll have to warn Naruto and Hinata about this as soon as I can._"

Arena floor…

Genshin was finding himself hard-pressed in his fight. It was steadily becoming harder and harder for him to fight against both the heir to the Hayabusa clan and the famous 'Sharingan no Kakashi'.

Kakashi went in for a low strike with his ninjato when a hand caught the blade. He looked up in time to see Blackfire kick him in the face. She turned to Genshin and said, "I'll take care of Ryu while you deal with Kakashi."

Genshin nodded and charged at the Anbu with his blade poised to strike. Karina flipped over Ryu and shot a multitude of fireballs at him. Without hand signs, Ryu summoned a tower of water to protect him from the fire.

As the tower fell, he held up the bird sign and made the water take on the shape of a dragon. The water dragon roared as it pushed forward. The kunoichi carefully timed her movements and jumped as high as she could.

Once in the air, she made a few hand signs and shouted, "**Raiton: Rairy ** ** udan no jutsu,**" causing a large dragon made from lightning to fly at the Hayabusa clan heir.

Acting quickly, he pulled out his second sword. He then used the first blade to absorb the attack and the second blade to direct it at Genshin. Said man quickly dodged the lightning, only to get kicked out of the air by Kakashi.

Stands…

Cairo smirked and said, "Let's make things a little harder."

He jumped out of his seat and shouted, "**Ninpo Kuchiyose: Phoenix army barrage!**"

He clapped his hands together and summoned at least twenty small phoenixes. The birds flew into the air before launching waves upon waves of fireballs into the arena.

Anko, who was quickly getting into the spirit of things, made a single hand sign and shouted, "**Doton: Mud slide jutsu!**"

By slamming her hands onto the ground, a river of mud sped its way onto the arena floor. Cairo grinned and said, "It seems that someone understands how things work in here."

Kori smiled and said, "It seems as though my sister will need some assistance."

She then made seven **kage bunshins** who all called out, "**Suiton: Hydro bow jutsu**."

All eight Starfires quickly formed bows made of water and launched them at the raining fireballs. Kushina smirked and said, "This seems like the perfect place for a girl to get some exercise."

She then pulled out her katana and jumped onto the field. Naruto looked at his father and asked, "Whose side do you think she'll take?"

All four Kages and Jiraiya gave him a comical look before saying, "No one's."

Jiraiya chuckled and said, "Naruto, that mom of yours is about to do some damage."

Arena…

Genshin and Kakashi were caught in a bind. If they weren't blocking against each other, they were dodging the fireballs that Cairo so mercilessly spammed out. Genshin laughed and said, "Our leader certainly has a weird sense of humor."

Kakashi blocked a downward slash and said, "Personally, I believe he gets it from his mother."

Suddenly, both Genshin and Kakashi were forced to jump back as Kushina aimed a swipe at their heads. She gave an innocent smile and said, "That was a really cheap shot, boys. I hope you're ready to pay for it."

Genshin turned to Kakashi and asked, "What are our chances for survival?"

Kakashi gulped and said, "Alone, were both screwed. Together, we've got about _**ten minutes**_ before we're screwed."

Genshin readied his blade and said, "I for one would prefer to see those ten minutes."

Kakashi nodded and said, "Agreed. I'd like to die fighting instead of like a wimp."

The two of them shook hands and turned to face a sight that could send Orochimaru crying for his mommy. Kushina was polishing her blade with a bloodthirsty grin plastered on her face.

Kakashi just cracked his neck before saying, "I stand corrected. Now we've only got _**five**_ minutes before she kills us."

Genshin smiled and said, "If that's the case, let's go full out. That way we can at least say we didn't die like those losers we killed off three years ago."

While Kushina was getting ready to put Genshin and Kakashi in the hospital (She isn't going to kill them, people.), Karina was fighting Ryu on top of the river of mud that Anko summoned. Karina tried for a sweep kick, but Ryu blocked and went in for a low punch.

Karina quickly grabbed his hand and said, "You won't beat me that easy."

The two of them broke apart before Ryu shot a fireball at her. Before it could reach her, a large number of water arrows pierced the large flaming sphere. Blackfire looked up to see her sister preparing another attack.

She then turned back to Ryu and said, "This has been fun. Sadly, we'll have to cut our match short."

The dragon ninja nodded and said, "I agree. It seems that our leader's mother is about to run wild. Karina, get off of the field. I'll try to lend them a hand."

Blackfire jumped into the stands while Ryu ran off to face imminent doom alongside his friends.

Stands…

Karina appeared next to Naruto and said, "It seems your mother is about to kill a really decent trio of shinobi."

Minato chuckled and said, "The sad part about it is that this will only be a warm-up for Kushi-chan. However, I'm positive that she won't actually kill the three of them."

Naruto looked down at the field and said, "You're right. She won't kill them like that. It's not her style."

Cairo nodded and said, "I've read about that smile of hers. Usually, that smile means that your chances of survival get cut in half. At least the three of them have a few minutes of survival."

Kurenai raised an eyebrow. She walked over to Cairo and said, "You speak about her as if she is insane."

Everyone in the stands that personally knew Kushina smirked and said, "She _**is**_ insane."

Anko put an arm around Kurenai before saying, "I can't believe you don't know about Kushina-sama. She's reported to be the baddest bitch to hail from Uzu no Kuni since the Shodaime's wife. This woman was given the name '_**The Hot-blooded Habanera**_', but the Anbu gave her a different name."

This piqued Naruto's interest. He looked at Anko and asked, "What did they call her?"

Anko smirked and replied, "For single-handedly taking down the first wave of Iwa-nin and pushing them back until the Yondaime arrived to kill off the rest, the Anbu gave her the title of '_**Akai Ryujin no Shi**_'."

Naruto had a look of wonder on his face. He was proud to call Kushina his okaa-chan. Meanwhile, Sasuke was completely furious. He had tried to use his sharingan to copy all of the jutsu he had seen, but he couldn't for some reason.

He was also jealous that Naruto was related to people who had so much power. "_It's not fair_," he thought, "_the dobe is related to these people. It should be me receiving this power, not some loser. Also, why can't I copy their jutsu? I guess I'll just make them give me their techniques_."

Minato looked back at the current fight and saw that Kushina was actually being fended off. He then smiled and said, "I was right. She isn't trying to kill them. Kakashi and the others are holding her back."

That was his mistake. The moment he said that, Naruto grabbed his katana and shouted, "Hey kaa-chan, heads up!"

Without warning, Naruto tossed his blade to Kushina. Cairo looked at his brother and said, "Are you cracked in the head!? It's bad enough that I _**let her**_ go down there; _**with a sharpened katana**_, might I add! Now I have to go down there and stop her before someone actually dies!"

Hinata looked at Cairo and asked, "Pardon me, but why are you so worried about them? They seem to be doing just fine."

Minato quickly cut in, "Anko told you all about Kushi-chan's other title. What she didn't tell you was that Kushina earned that title while using two blades. Also, the majority of Uzumaki women are very violent when they enter a battle."

Cairo just stood up and said, "If you'll excuse me, I have a few people to rescue."

The Yamikage swiftly pulled out his sais before jumping into the arena.

Arena floor…

Kakashi and the others were doing just fine holding Kushina back. It seemed that with Ryu using both of his blades, they were giving her a decent match. However, their luck hit a brick wall when Genshin said, "Well Kakashi, it looks like we might live past five minutes after all."

Suddenly, a second katana landed at Kushina's feet. Kakashi noticed this and thought, "_Our luck just hit a brick wall._"

Correction; their luck went to an all night party, got completely smashed, jumped into a car with a busted headlight, sped down the highway at 145 mph, crossed every lane without the turn signals, drove into the wrong lane, and swerved to avoid a pickup truck at the last second.

After all of that, it skidded off of the road, rolled down a hill, flew off of a cliff, crashed onto a cruise liner, exploded, and finally sank into a watery grave where it hit a depth charge and got blown up again.

Needless to say, these three were screwed over if she picked up that blade. Kakashi attempted to pray that she would ignore the blade, but the author of this fan-fic is in a really Anko-ish mood right now.

As Kushina picked up the second blade, Kakashi turned to Genshin and said, "You just _**had**_ to open your mouth, Genshin. If we somehow live through this, I'm going to give you a **chidori** style enema every day at 3 pm sharp! Now instead of dying with dignity, we're about to be comically slaughtered. She might even keep our heads as trophies!"

Kushina twirled the second blade and rushed at the soon to be dead (not really) shinobi. The three jonins closed their eyes and waited, but all they heard was a metal 'clang'. Kakashi opened his eyes to see Cairo pushing his mother back.

The Yamikage growled and said, "I've seen enough. I'm officially calling this match to a close before someone gets killed. You have three seconds to stand down at once or you will be detained by my Anbu and placed in a cell for the duration of your time here."

Understanding her boundaries (unlike Sakura), Kushina quickly backed away from her son. Cairo then banished his blades and said, "All of you are to come down from the stands at once."

He waited for everyone to come down before saying, "Now that we've all had our daily dose of stupid, we can get back on schedule."

Cairo then clapped his hands together twice and stepped back. Seconds later, a group of black, ghost-looking figures made of smoke shot down from the sky and into the arena. When the smoke cleared away from their forms, the figures were revealed to be people.

The Yamikage quickly said, "Neji and Hinata Hyuuga, Tenten Higurashi, and Shikamaru Nara; would you all be so kind as to step forward?"

As the four shinobi mentioned came forward, Cairo pointed to the new group and said, "These are the people who will train you. They will all introduce themselves and three of you will select your senseis from the group. Tenten, however, will not make a selection from the group. Her sensei has already been chosen."

Tenten quickly turned to Cairo and asked, "What do you mean that my sensei has already been chosen? Why don't I get to make a choice?"

Cairo grabbed her hands and said, "Unlike some banshees…I mean people, you actually spend your time training. I can tell by the calluses and scars on your hands. It is your wish to be a weapon's mistress. There is only one shinobi in my ranks who can help you achieve that goal."

Tenten pulled her hands back. "I'm sorry for snapping like that," she said. "However, I'm curious as to who my new sensei is."

Cairo motioned to Ryu and said, "The only person other than me who can help you is Ryu Hayabusa. He's the only other person in the village who fights with more than one or two weapons."

Ryu nodded and said, "Naruto-sama tells me that you're good with weapons. It's my goal to make you as good as a Hayabusa."

Tenten blushed and asked, "Excuse me, but do you mind if I have a look at your blade? As a blacksmith's daughter and apprentice, I love inspecting high-quality blades."

Ryu didn't sense any falsehood in her words and decided that letting her inspect his blade wouldn't be much of a problem. However, just as he held out the sword, Gai quickly pulled Ryu's arm back.

He then shook his head and said, "I mean no disrespect to you or my student, but if you let her get a hold on that sword, you might never get it back. She has a rather…fanatical love for rare weapons."

Tenten pouted and said, "You never let me have any fun, Gai-sensei. Either way, it will be an honor to train with you, Ryu-sama."

Cairo smiled and said, "Now that that's out of the way, let's get on with the introductions."

The young woman on the far left waved and said, "I'll go first. My name is Jill Manx, but everyone calls me Jinx. My specialties are demolition, stealth, healing, and tracking. I can fight at close range, but I'm a mid to long range fighter. I have a lightning element and a bloodline which allows me to cause bad luck to my targets."

The next person walked forward and said, "My name is Dante. I'm representing the Devil Squad. I'm a close-range swordsman who uses long-range weapons when needed. I have a fire affinity and I specialize in close-quarters combat."

The next person, a woman, bowed and said, "My name is Shaolin Fon. I'm an elite assassin and I specialize in wind jutsu, stealth, and assassination."

Shaolin stepped back as the next person, a blonde teen with sunglasses, said, "My name is Dylan Wesker, grandson of Albert Wesker. I'm the head scientist of the village. I specialize in chemical warfare, stealth, and shadow arts. My elemental alignment is to shadow."

Dylan quickly stepped back as Raven said, "All of you already know me. I'm an Elite Jonin who specializes in something rarely seen. My alignments are to wind, shadow, and magic. Yes, people, I said magic. If you have a problem with it, take a number and go wait in line with every other person who's waiting for me to give a fuck."

Raven jumped back as the last person came forward. The moment Naruto looked at him, Kyuubi shouted out, "**Kit, let me take over. I need to speak with this man at once!**"

Just as the man was about to introduce himself, Naruto (in Kyuubi's voice) called out, "**You in the black kimono; is your name Hiei?**"

Hiei turned to Naruto and asked, "How do you know my name? Better yet, how do you have that voice? Only one person should have that voice."

Kyūbi chuckled and said, "**Come now, Hiei. I know it's been over a hundred years, but don't tell me that you forgot about one of your best friends. What would Yusuke say if he found out that your memory was slipping?**"

Hiei smirked. "You're mistaking me for that moron, Kuabara. No matter how much time has passed, I'd never forget you or your voice…Kurama."


	19. 18: Cairo Uzumaki: The Secret is Out!

A Brother's Return

Ch.18

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, witch language, demons: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts, ect…: _**bold italicized**_

(): author speaking

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, having a bowl-cut hairstyle would be a capital offense.

Naruto walked up to Hiei and said, "**I'd love to catch up with you, but my host needs his body back.**"

The shorter male nodded and said, "I understand. We will converse on another day, my ruthless friend."

With that, he gave Naruto control of his body again. Hiei looked Naruto over and said, "It seems my friend has a strong host. I can tell that you will go far together."

Naruto shook his head and replied, "Once I become strong enough, I'll release him from the seal. I don't intend on keeping him imprisoned forever. It wouldn't be fair to him."

Hiei glared at him and said, "You are a strange person…but you interest me. I'll be keeping in touch."

That being said, Hiei retook his place in the line. Cairo pointed to Shikamaru and said, "You have the first selection, Shikamaru-san."

The lazy Chūnin nodded and pointed to Dylan. Cairo then pointed to Hinata. The girl walked forward and asked, "Do you have anyone who specializes in water techniques?"

Cairo took a moment to think and said, "I'll arrange for you to train with Zabuza and Haku."

As he turned to Neji, said Hyūga shook his head. "I humbly ask that you allow me a moment to think this over."

Cairo nodded and said, "Kiba Inuzuka, tell me your element."

Kiba gave a feral smirk and said, "I have a lightning element."

The Yamikage nodded and turned him to Jinx. He then turned to Ino and asked, "Yamanaka-san, what element defines you?"

Ino pushed past Sakura, making sure to shoulder-check the girl, and replied, "I have a fire element with a secondary earth element."

Dante smiled. "It looks like you're with me, kid. By the way, you'll need a ninjato."

Cairo then turned to Shino and asked, "What is your element, Aburame-san?"

Shino just bowed and said, "I have an earth affinity, Yamikage-sama."

Cairo nodded. "I'll have Shiroso oversee your training. I'll also need to do something about your kikaichu."

He then turned to Chouji. "Akimichi-san, what is your affinity?"

Chouji stood up straight as he said, "I have an earth element, sir."

Cairo pointed him to stand next to Shino. As Cairo turned back to Neji, he gave the boy an analyzing stare. He then walked over and said, "Being from the Hyūga Clan, you most would've likely had an earth affinity. However, I can see that you have an equal affinity to both earth and wind."

Neji nodded and asked, "Does this mean that I am not allowed a trainer?"

Cairo held up a hand and said, "I never said that. However, you'll have to be careful of your choice. While many of our shinobi have more than one elemental alignment, most of them with two or more are out doing more missions. What you see is all I can spare at the moment."

Suddenly, Sasuke shouted, "Wait a minute. Why do their teams get training while ours doesn't? It doesn't seem that fair to me."

Sakura nodded and said, "Yeah. These people should be teaching Sasuke-kun instead of those losers. Only Sasuke-kun deserves to have special training."

That single moment gave Neji the idea of a lifetime. If there was one thing he hated more than the elders of the Hyūga Clan for their part in his father's death (he no longer blames Hinata and Hiashi), it was the Uchiha and his elitist attitude.

With his mind made up, Neji turned to Cairo and said, "Yamikage-sama, I humbly request that _**you**_ be my new sensei."

This floored almost everyone but Cairo and Kakashi. Kakashi figured that if Cairo said yes, it would serve to humiliate Sasuke even more. Cairo, being the son of Kushina and the brother of Naruto, came to the same conclusion.

Sasuke marched forward and said, "No. You will not train this Hyūga trash. If anything, you should be training me to avenge my clan. Only I deserve to be taught by a Kage."

Cairo smirked under his mask. "_Looks like it's time to troll_," he thought to himself. He then said, "Very well. I accept your request."

Sasuke smirked until Cairo said, "Neji Hyūga, you are now my apprentice. Meet me in my office in one hour."

Sasuke's smirk quickly turned into a scowl. Cairo ignored him and said, "Those of you who have been accepted for training will report to my office in an hour. You will be returned to Konoha once your training is done. Those who were not will return to Konoha with your senseis. Naruto-san, Cairo will be overseeing your training. Therefore, you will remain here."

Suddenly, Kiba remembered something. "Naruto, didn't you use a jutsu that could only be learned here?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. You must be thinking of the **Kagegakure no jutsu**."

Shikamaru nodded and asked, "If that's the case, how did you learn it when only Kakashi-sensei has been to the village?"

Naruto scratched his cheek. "When I said you could only learn that jutsu 'in this village', I should've said that it can only be learned from 'a shinobi from this village'. I learned it from my brother."

Kiba smirked and said, "That's another thing I want to talk about. When do we get to meet this mysterious brother of yours?"

Naruto just gave off a foxy grin. "When the time is right, you'll meet him."

Cairo cleared his throat. "It is time for everyone to part ways. Those heading home will report to the gates. Those staying will follow their new senseis. Naruto, you will stay by my side for a while longer. Neji, you will also accompany me."

Later…

As the trainees followed their new instructors to the Kage's tower, Naruto and Neji followed the Yamikage to only he knew where. Without looking back, Cairo said, "Neji-san, you are wondering why I didn't include your friend Lee in the training regime. It is because I haven't found a way to heal his damaged chakra network. By the way, your Byakugan might not be able to see my face, but you can stop pretending to be ignorant about whom I really am."

Neji's eyes widened. It seemed as though his secret was out. "Very well, Cairo-sama," he said. "I must admit that it's surprising to see you ruling over a village. Still, I am glad to see you alive after so long. Unlike some of our generation, I actually remember you."

Cairo nodded as he led them into a building. Upon entry, Naruto smiled as he saw Rodin at the bar. Cairo walked up and said, "I'm here on business today, Rodin. What do you have for me?"

Rodin looked around and said, "The Gates of Paradiso are gonna to spill open in about four years. Every single angel that Bayonetta and Jeanne managed to kill are gonna come back even stronger. Every…single…one."

Cairo grimaced and asked, "What do you plan on doing this time?"

"I'm planning on getting off my ass and lending a hand."

Cairo nodded and asked, "What's my current halo count?"

Rodin went through the system and said, "You've racked up at least 20 million."

"Good," Cairo said. "At least I won't be lacking if I have to buy the _**Platinum Ticket**_."

Rodin pulled him to the side and said, "You need to know that Jubileus is going to return. This time, it'll be completely revived. The one Bayonetta fought was only at half power. You might just have to buy…"

Cairo slammed a fist on the bar and said, "Hell no! Nothing in the world could make me by _**that**_!"

Elsewhere…

Somewhere in a secluded mountain range, an evil laughter was heard. "Finally, after searching for so long, I have finally discovered the location of the Ryuchidō."

The hood of a cloak fell away to reveal black hair, white skin, and a pair of yellow eyes with black slits.

Gates of Hell…

Neji, who had been listening in on the conversation, couldn't believe what he was hearing. At the age of five, he had come across a journal that bore the name 'Antonio Redgrave'. In this journal were mentions of angels that were actually wicked creatures in disguise.

At first, he thought it was nothing more than a fictional tale, and kept it with him to read in his spare time. However, after hearing the name Jubileus in the conversation, he realized that the journal had actually held some truth.

He walked over to Cairo and said, "Cairo-sama, there is something I must ask you."

Cairo nodded as the brunette continued, "Does the name Antonio Redgrave mean anything to you?"

Suddenly, a voice said, "It means something to me. What do you know of my father?"

From a random table, a man in a dark gray outfit and a strange scarf stood up. He walked over and said, "My name is Luka, Luka Redgrave. You mentioned my father's name."

Neji nodded and pulled out the journal. "I believe this belongs to you, if that's the case."

Luka pushed it back and said, "Keep it. I've dealt with the Lumen and I know what's in those pages. I let Bayonetta hide it somewhere in the hopes that someone would find it and educate themselves in the true evils of the Lumen Sages. It seems that someone found it."

Cairo snapped his fingers and said, "We need to go. There's a meeting that's waiting on us to get it started."

Rodin nodded and said, "Remember what I said. The chances of needing it could come."

Cairo sighed and said, "I'll remember. I just hope you're wrong."

As Cairo's group left, Rodin looked to a shadow and said, "We'd better be getting ourselves ready, Bayonetta. I'll see what I can do on bringing in some friends and stocking up on weapons."

Bayonetta stepped out of her shadowy corner and said, "Jeanne and I will be busy for a while. When the gates open, we'll be ready."

Kage tower…

As everyone assembled in the office, Cairo, Naruto, and Neji appeared in a flash of light. Naruto and Neji stood with the others while Cairo sat at his desk. The Yamikage removed his hat to reveal a head of long white hair.

He then pulled out a scroll and said, "Before we begin, I need you all to sign a contract. This contract basically states that you will not reveal the contents of this meeting under any circumstances."

As everyone nodded, the scroll opened. The Konoha shinobi were shocked to see that Kakashi, Naruto, and Shikamaru had already signed. Cairo then said, "This contract also doubles as a summoning scroll. By signing it, you will be allowed future access to the village as well as summoning an ally to your aid. The allies you can summon will come from a contract that will be given to you. Once someone signs their name on your personal contract, you will be able to call them to your aid."

Neji stepped up first and pulled out a kunai to prick his finger. He then signed his name on the master scroll and left his handprint under his name. Hinata took the kunai and signed her name in the next blank.

One by one, the Konoha shinobi signed the master scroll. Once Kiba filled the last spot, the scroll rolled itself up and vanished. In its place were a bunch of smaller scrolls with names on them. After the scrolls were collected, Cairo nodded and said, "Now we can proceed with this meeting. First, I want to welcome you again to the village. Second, I will discuss with you all the reasons you were chosen."

Shino silently raised a hand. "Pardon my interruption," he said. "I must admit to being curious about your reason for choosing us."

Cairo nodded and said, "I'll be glad to explain. However, I will not be able to explain my reasons in order."

Cairo groaned and said, "As much as I don't want to, I have to involve Konoha in a war that they shouldn't be dealing with. You see, there's a terrorist group called the Akatsuki. Their mission is to round up the hosts of the biju. I've recently discovered that the man leading this group intends to use the demons to dominate the world."

Naruto decided to take over. "Yamikage-sama was originally going to deal with this threat alone, but due to certain circumstances, he's decided to lend us a hand with dealing with the Akatsuki."

Kiba growled and said, "That still doesn't explain the war he's talking about."

Cairo looked out the window. "The leader of the Akatsuki has enlisted the help of a man who intends to try and take over his home dimension. The man's name is Balder. Balder shouldn't have been your problem, but his pact with the Akatsuki drew you all in to my fight. My real purpose is to train you to fight this new adversary as well as lend my hand to your village."

Kiba nodded in compliance, but Ino asked, "Why Konoha though? Why not any help any other village?"

Cairo sighed. "It's time you all learn the truth that the council has kept from you. I chose to defend Konoha because it was once my home. As a child, I was a Konoha resident."

Ino seemed to buy it, but Neji was tired of Cairo beating around the bush. He looked the young Kage in the eye and said, "I apologize for my rudeness, but if you don't tell them the truth, I will."

Without warning, an Oni-masked Anbu was holding a rather large blade at Neji's throat. Cairo quickly grabbed his arm. "That's enough, Oni. He is right. It is indeed time to stop hiding."

As the Anbu vanished, Cairo said, "To be honest, I hate Konoha with a burning passion. At the age of seven, I was beaten, tortured, and exiled from the village. The only reason I'm helping you is that there are still people there that I care about. So long as they live, I will protect Konoha. However, there is one person in particular that I am trying to protect from the Akatsuki."

Naruto cleared his throat and said, "It's me. I am the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Kitsune. Born as the second child of the Yondaime Hokage, as well as being born of the Uzumaki bloodline, I am Konoha's salvation…and its pariah. The books tell you of the attack on October 10th. What it doesn't tell you is that the Kyūbi battled another demon as well as my father. In the end, both demons were sealed. The fox was sealed into the second-born child…"

"…and the other was sealed into the first-born," finished Shikamaru. "The only question remains is this: Who is the first-born child of the Yondaime?"

Naruto pointed to Neji and said, "We'll let you tell them. After all, you're the only one among us who truly knows."

The silent Hyūga nodded. "Naruto's brother is also his other half. Like my father and uncle, Naruto was conceived alongside a twin brother. They bore the same face, clothing, and mannerisms. You would often see one or the other, but only I ever saw them both at the same time. They might have done everything together, but by being separate from each other, they could pull twice as many pranks in one day. His name was Cairo. He was cast out of our village. He survived the world. And he became someone of great importance."

Tenten grabbed her teammate and said, "Stop with the drama, Neji. Who did he become?"

The Yamikage silently rose from his chair. As he did, a brilliant blonde color washed over his white hair as if painting on a blank canvas. He then slowly pulled his mask and said, "He was born as a child of Minato Namikaze. He was made the host of a nine-tailed bat. He was cast out of a village that hated his very existence. He survived in a shinobi world for over six years. And in that time, he rose to power as the Yamikage. I am Cairo Uzumaki."

After fully removing his mask, everyone stared at his fully revealed face. From the blue eyes to the whiskers, there was no denying this simple fact: Cairo Uzumaki was alive and staring them in the face.


	20. 19: Exhibition Part 1

A Brother's Return

Ch.19: Part 1

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, Witch language, demons: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts, ect…: _**bold italicized**_

(): author speaking

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Kagegakure no Sato would be a real hidden village.

The entire Konoha group, sans Neji and Naruto, were completely slack jawed. Finally, Shikamaru gained the sense to say, "This is just too much of a shock. How did they manage to keep this a secret from everyone?"

Shino adjusted his glasses and said, "The real question should be, 'who was involved in this'."

Neji nodded at Shino's words. "We all have a relative on the shinobi council. I wouldn't be surprised if all of them knew about this."

Cairo smirked and said, "Of course they knew about it. The problem is that there was nothing they could do. Once a banishment law is passed, it can't be revoked. Not even a Kage can overrule that."

Kiba frowned and said, "Man that sucks. I can't believe they did that to you."

Cairo waved him off. "It no longer matters to me. I've found my happiness here. Now, let's discuss your training. You will all be here for the duration of one year, which in Konoha equates to one month. Because time moves slower here, you will have longer to train without the aging factor."

Everyone remained silent as he continued, "I just want you to know that the training you receive here will be deadly. Once your training is complete, you will all showcase your talents. Should anyone wish to back out, I will send you home. If not, we will begin on the double."

Seeing no one try to leave, Cairo nodded and said, "We only have a month and the day is still young. Let the training begin."

Konoha-one month later…

Tsunade was currently battling the bane of all Kages (except Cairo and Minato). It seemed that no matter how hard she tried, the paperwork kept piling up. Suddenly, her battle was interrupted by Jiraiya.

She'd never admit it, but for all of ten seconds Jiraiya had become her favorite person. "What do you want, Jiraiya," she asked.

The toad sage grinned and said, "You have a message from our favorite Kage. He wants the team senseis, us, and a few other mentioned people to report to the stadium. He's inviting us back to his village."

Tsunade smirked and said, "That Cairo sure can be a handful when he wants to be. Still, I'm game if it gets me away from this accursed paperwork."

Jiraiya gave a mock salute before vanishing. Just before leaving the office, Tsunade gave the tall stack of paperwork a supercharged punch.

The result was paper flying out of the office window. Tsunade left her office with a satisfied grin plastered on her face.

One hour later…

The team leaders, Shizune, Ibiki, Iruka, Minato, Kushina, Sarutobi, Anko, Tsunade, Jiraiya, the clan heads, and the three gennin were once again converged in the stadium. Kakashi silently counted back from three before a portal tore itself open in front of them.

Unlike last time, Kakashi was charged with leading the group into the village. Upon arrival into the village, they were greeted by a black-haired woman in a green kimono and black knee-high boots.

The odd thing about her was her grinning cat mask. With only a single glance, Kakashi knew this woman was a member of Cairo's elite Anbu squad, the _**Yoru **_Squad.

He gave a polite bow and said, "It seems as if Yamikage-sama is expecting us Cheshire. Still, I didn't think he'd send one of his best Anbu to greet us."

The woman simply nodded in response. "My master has instructed me to bring you all to the Stadium at once."

Kakashi just gave an eye-smile and said, "Lead the way."

Eclipse-Stadium level…

When the Konoha group arrived within the stadium, which now represented a large obstacle course, Cheshire pointed them to their seats and said, "The Yamikage will arrive shortly. Until then, I must ask you all to remain seated."

Before anyone could question her, Cheshire backed into a shadow on the wall and vanished. Sarutobi turned to Minato and said, "I have a feeling that we're not here just for the fun of things."

The Yondaime nodded. "I might've only known Cairo for a few days, but I can tell that he does things for a reason."

Suddenly, the Konoha entourage could feel multiple familiar chakra signatures. Everyone turned their attention to the arena where the chakra was coming from.

In the center of the arena, a strong gale of wind started to pick up. At the epicenter of the wind, the Konoha group could see a row of people wearing cloaks.

The person at the left of the row lifted his head to reveal Dante. He pulled down his hood and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the show. Today, we intend to showcase our apprentices and their skills. At the end of the event, you will be reunited with your students. Now, to kick things off for us, the Yamikage will do the introductions."

In a flash of light, Cairo appeared in his hat and robes. He looked to the crowd and said, "My fellow shinobi, I give you the men and women who trained your students: Ryu Hayabusa, Raven Roth, Jill Manx, Dylan Wesker, Shiroso Hanzaki, Shaolin Fon, Dante Sparda, Zabuza and Haku Momochi, and myself."

One by one, the people in the line removed their hoods as they were called. Cairo opted to leave his hat on until later. He then said, "Now I give you the stars of the show. In order of last name, we have Shino Aburame, Chouji Akimichi, Tenten Higurashi, Hinata Hyūga, Neji Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shikamaru Nara, Naruto Uzumaki, and Ino Yamanaka."

One by one, the chosen few made a flashy appearance into the ring. Shino appeared in a swirl of bugs, Chouji materialized from a dust cloud, Kiba showed up in a flash of lightning, Shikamaru appeared in a black flash, Tenten showed up in a swirl of leaves and a blue flash, Hinata formed out of a puddle of water, Ino appeared in a burst of flames, and both Naruto and Neji appeared in a gust of swirling wind.

All of them had on a bulky travel cloak which covered their entire bodies. Cairo smirked under his mask and said, "The exhibition will be a show of only Taijutsu. These shinobi will cross the obstacle course by using their skills. They will each have five minutes to make it to the other end. Please remove your cloak as you prepare to begin. Ino Yamanaka has volunteered to go first."

Ino took the starting position and removed her cloak. Added to her original outfit was a sleeveless violet haori that was open and tied off at the waist with a black obi.

It was patterned with a nightshade flower design in the center and petals that flowed out from around the flower. On her left hip resided a ninjato that rested in a violet sheath.

Cairo held up his hand and waved it down to signal her to begin. When the hand came down, Ino sprang into action. Halfway through the course, at what was dubbed the 'Danger Zone', she was forced to jump over a series of horizontal poles that tried to hinder her progress.

The higher she jumped, the more poles would come out. Ino cursed as she made a handsign and summoned a mask, a pair of gauntlets, grieves, and a flower piece that appeared on her upper back.

The weapon set was made of a silver-ish metal with reddish-purple flames. She landed on a pole and said, "I can't believe I have to use Gilgamesh (Check DMC 4) so soon."

The blonde jumped in the air and lifted her right leg, causing the circular saw blade to start spinning. She then brought her leg down on the poles, allowing the blade to slice them in half.

Ino gave a victorious smirk as they fell and made her way to the end. After only two minutes, the girl jumped over the finish line and rang the bell.

With her trial being finished, she turned to Cairo and gave a polite bow before rejoining the line. Cairo nodded and said, "Our next contender will be Neji Hyūga. Neji, take your position."

As Neji removed his cloak, Hiashi noticed that Neji now wore a more traditional Hyuga outfit (his shippuden outfit). On his hip rested a pair of black gloves.

As Cairo started the clock, Neji was forced to dodge a hail of shuriken. He quickly leapt to the side and jumped over a jet of flames. His landing placed him in the Danger Zone.

Without warning, a storm of kunai, fire balls, shuriken, and other hazardous objects surrounded him from all sides. Neji halted his movements and shouted, "**Hakkesho: Kaiten!**"

By using the rotation, he was able to fend off the attack. During the action, Hiashi activated his Byakugan to get a better look a Neji's **Kaiten**.

He was completely shocked when he saw that the crater Neji left behind was deeper than one normally made by the **Kaiten**. Neji jumped out of the crater and made his way through to the end of the course.

As soon as Neji hit the bell, the obstacle course fixed itself. Neji then thought back to his training with Cairo.

Flashback…

_Cairo watched Neji perform his clan's techniques for the fifth time. He told Neji to stop and said, "It seems as though the Hyūga clan has yet to unlock the true powers of the __**Kaiten**__." _

_Neji relaxed his stance. "You speak as though there is another way to use the __**Kaiten**__." _

_Cairo smirked and stepped back. "Whatever you do, don't blink. __**Hakkesho: Kaiten**__!" _

_The young Hyūga watched in awe as the Yamikage used his clan's technique so effortlessly. When the rotations came to a halt, Cairo floated down into a large crater that was perfectly shaped like a semi circle. _

_He then jumped out and said, "When a Hyūga uses this attack, they focus on making a dome of chakra. They haven't realized that the user is still vulnerable to an underground attack. Most Hyūga who can use this technique can't even use it in the air."_

_Neji nodded and asked, "What will this mean for me, Cairo-sensei?" _

_Cairo smiled and said, "You're going to train harder so that you can overcome this weakness. The first thing I will teach you is how to make a fully spherical __**Kaiten**__. We'll progress from there."_

_Neji nodded and prepared to begin working again. He would do everything he could to overcome this flaw._

Present time…

Once Neji bowed and left the field, Cairo nodded and said, "Shikamaru Nara will perform next."

Shikamaru shrugged off his cloak to reveal a beige-green haori resting over his flak jacket. On the back of the haori was his clan's insignia. The design on the haori, however, was closely patterned to match the trench coat that Dylan wore.

Once Cairo started the clock, Shikamaru quickly moved through the course. Once he got to the half-way point, Cheshire appeared from nowhere and tried to attack him.

Shika dodged her blades with little stress, but was thrown off when a green arrow smashed against his chest. The arrowhead exploded and covered him with green foam that hardened within seconds.

Shika just smirked and vanished in a black blur. He reappeared behind Cheshire and aimed a kick at her head.

The girl swiftly dropped into a sweep kick and followed with a mule kick. The pineapple-haired teen vanished again and flipped away from her. He was forced to pull into a slide as a compact bow almost made contact with his face.

A blonde female wearing a Falcon mask tried to slam him with a heel kick, but he grabbed her foot and threw her balance off. Just as she was about to hit the ground, Cheshire jumped to her side and caught her. "I told you I'd be there for you," Cheshire teased.

Shikamaru used the distraction to kick both Anbu to the ground before flashing to the finish line. He currently had the lowest score at two minutes and five seconds.

Cairo nodded and said, "Tenten, take the field."

When Tenten removed her cloak, everyone saw that she was wearing a dark green Chinese-style shirt and black shinobi pants with a green dragon on the side. Strapped to her back was a single scroll.

As soon as Cairo nodded and raised his hand, the girl took her starting position. The moment his hand came down, Tenten darted off into the course.

Once she reached the half-way point, a total of five hundred targets appeared. The brunette made a stance as if to throw a shuriken, but her hands were empty. To everyone's surprise, a shuriken would appear every time she threw her hands out.

Within seconds, she had hit the center on every last target. She then sped across the finish line, leaving her in third place.

The Yamikage nodded and said, "Shino, take your position."

Shino removed his cloak to reveal a hooded dark gray trench coat that stopped at his ankles. Under his coat, he wore his regular clothing with an armor plate covering his chest. Attached to his waist was a pair of daggers.

Cairo lifted his hand to signal the start of Shino's test. The young Aburame wasted no time in dashing off into the danger zone.

Once he made it to the center, his foot triggered a seal on the ground. The seal then activated a set of twenty seals on the walls.

Without warning, a hailstorm of spears was launched from the seals at Shino. As soon as the first spear got close to him, Shino's body dissolved into a swarm of kikaichu beetles.

Instead of just falling to the ground, the beetles flew past the spear and reformed into Shino. He repeated this action until the last spear approached. He held out his hand and his beetles quickly swarmed out of his sleeve.

Within seconds, the beetles transformed themselves into a pair of Kama that Shino could fight with. Shino used one blade to stop the spear and used the second one to cut it in half. As soon as Shino crossed the finish line, his twin sickles broke down into a swarm of bugs and vanished into his sleeves.

During the rest of the obstacle course, Kiba, who was dressed the same, was forced to find Akamaru in a dense forest without the use of his eyes.

Hinata, who now wore a light lavender haori with a dark lavender scarf around her neck, had to dance her way through a field of whirlpools while destroying mobile targets.

Chouji, who had also opted to keep his outfit the same, had to level a stone quarry and find a flag.

Naruto, who was currently wearing a red haori with the Uzumaki Clan swirl on the back and went last, had to fend off Genshin and Ryu at the same time while standing on a small platform that hovered over a pit of metal spikes.

Cairo nodded and said, "This concludes the Taijutsu portion of our exhibition. We will take a thirty minute break before continuing on with the Ninjutsu portion."


	21. 19 pt 2: Cairo's Ire & Tsunade's Choice

A Brother's Return

Ch.19: Part 2

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, Witch language, demons: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts, ect…: _**bold italicized**_

(): author speaking

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Anko would've gotten an AK-47 as a birthday gift.

During the reprieve, the Konoha group came down to the field. Out of their entire group, Hiashi was the first to ask, "Yamikage-sama how is it that they have progressed so far in only one month?"

Cairo chuckled and said, "Time moves differently in this village. One month of your time equates to a year of our time."

Shibi Aburame nodded and said, "It makes sense if you think about it. This village does not reside in our dimension. It is completely possible for such a phenomenon to occur."

He then turned to his son and said, "Shino, you have shown much promise today. I wonder what other skills do you intend to show."

Shino adjusted his shades and said, "Thank you tou-san, but I'm afraid that you will have to wait until our host begins the next portion of the exhibition."

Tsume quickly pulled Kiba into a hug and said, "Good show out there, pup. You might just be ready for the next stage of our clan's training regime."

Kiba snorted. "Of course I'm ready. Between you and me, the Yamikage is more of a slave driver than you are."

Tsume laughed and said, "Somehow, I don't doubt that."

Hiashi turned to Hinata and Neji before saying, "I have to say that I am impressed with your performances today. Your talents have greatly improved during your time here."

Inoichi gave Ino a hug and said, "Good show, princess. You've come pretty far."

Ino smiled and said, "Thanks dad, but the show's not over yet."

Suddenly, Sasuke decided to ruin everyone's moment. He pushed his way through the crowd and said to Cairo, "You've got a lot of nerve. How dare you deny me any training when you clearly have no problem with teaching these rejects?"

Cairo didn't even so much as flinch. He looked Sasuke in the eye and said, "Sasuke, who I choose to teach is none of your concern. Now, seeing as how I'm in a good mood, I'll let you air out any complaints you have."

Sasuke stepped back and pointed at Neji. "You chose to train a Hyūga instead of teaching me. I'm an elite Uchiha. I deserve to learn from you more than anyone here. The only thing I hate more than you training the Hyūga is the fact that you chose the village dobe over me. He's just a no-name orphan whose parents probably left him in some random ditch because they didn't want him."

Cairo gave him a blank stare and asked, "Are you done yet?"

The Uchiha growled and said, "No, I'm not finished yet. You could've chosen to train the greatest shinobi in our village, yet you picked a creep, a freaky girl, a lazy derelict, a fat kid, a mutt, a whore, a street urchin, a piece of Hyūga trash, and some random girl. You clearly have no business trying to run a village."

In the span of a second, five Anbu had Sasuke surrounded with a blade pointed at his throat. Cheshire growled under her mask and said, "How dare you speak to our Kage in such a manner? You'd better pray that he doesn't give us the order to strike."

Cairo snapped his fingers. "Anbu operatives, stand down at once."

The masked shinobi hesitated at first, but finally removed their swords from the Uchiha's neck. Sasuke smirked and said, "I believe that your shinobi just tried to attack me for no reason, and I demand reparation."

Cairo decided to play along and said, "Let's say that I agree with you for a moment. What would you have me give you as payment?"

Sasuke quickly said, "I demand that you surrender your village's forbidden scroll, a scroll containing all of your village's jutsu, and you must train me to fight Itachi."

Cairo quickly wrote something down and said, "Very well, Uchiha-san. I'll make sure to deliver everything you've requested. However, it will have to wait until a more appropriate time."

Sasuke grinned and asked, "What day would be appropriate for you, Yamikage-san?"

Cairo smirked and said, "On the day that hell freezes over, I'll personally deliver the items you have requested. Until that time arrives, please be so kind as to sit down, shut up, and get bent."

After taking a moment to register the entire conversation, Sarutobi started to snicker. Minato and Inoichi got caught up in chuckling, and in just seconds, everyone except for Sakura and Sasuke had fallen over in laughter.

Even the more reserved shinobi like Hiashi, Shibi, Ryu, and Dylan were giggling. Anko, Tsume, Kushina, and Kakashi were all having trouble breathing.

Kushina was currently thinking, "_That'll teach you to disrespect my children, you little bastard._"

Once everyone had calmed down, Cairo turned to everyone and said, "Now it's time for the second portion on the exhibition. The trainees shall now face off against their trainers."

He then removed his hat and mask, revealing his secret to the remaining people there who didn't know his secret. Sakura quickly shouted, "No wonder you're such a terrible Kage. I should've known that you were Naruto-baka's brother. Not only that, but you're clearly a traitor."

Cairo just glared and said, "You need to shut up. Since the first time I invited you here, you've done nothing but insult my village and shame your own. If you continue to display such irresponsibility and disrespect, I'll have you reported."

As he turned away, Sakura huffed and said, "You have no right to speak to me in that manner, traitor. As a _loyal_ kunoichi of Konoha, I hereby place you under arrest for treason and desertion. Come quietly or I will not hesitate to use force."

She whipped out a kunai and tried to stab Cairo but was instantly surrounded by Anbu members. Cheshire growled and said, "You have a lot of nerve to try and assault our leader. I should gut you where you stand."

Cairo snapped his fingers and said, "I told you all to stand down. If Sakura believes that she is a match for me, let her try."

Almost instantly, the Anbu squad pulled away from the pinkette. They all knew that if Cairo willingly allowed someone to try and attack him, that person wouldn't be walking away without some form of an injury.

Cairo whipped off his robes to reveal his battle outfit. He then pointed at Sakura and said, "We'll do this in the ring. You can use anything you want but you can't try to kill me. If I win, you must forfeit your shinobi license for three months. If you somehow manage to win, I'll give your precious Uchiha my village's forbidden scroll."

Sakura cracked her knuckles and said, "I'm about to send you crying to your whore of a mommy. Wait a minute…you don't have one."

Cheshire took one look at her leader and shouted to everyone else, "Get the hell away from the arena floor! You don't want to be down here when he gets like this! Anbu squad, set up the barrier!"

As soon as the field was evacuated, a red glow surrounded the edge of the arena. Cairo activated his Rinnegan and said, "You should consider yourself lucky I said that killing wasn't allowed here. I have officially had enough of dealing with you and your disrespectful attitude."

Sakura scoffed and said, "You can't speak to me like that. My okaa-san is an esteemed member of the council in Konoha"

Cairo growled and said, "I already know who your bitch of a mother is and I don't give a damn! That pink haired tramp is part of what got me thrown out of Konoha when I was seven! I said I wouldn't harm the village, but at least I can take some anger out on you. Cheshire, you will act as referee for this match. I suggest you get off the floor once I start moving."

Cheshire reentered the arena and said, "This match between Cairo Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno will begin…now!"

She then vanished from the field, leaving an angry Kage to face a moronic gennin. Unlike the pinkette, Jade actually valued her life enough to try and keep it.

Sakura began by throwing a barrage of sloppy punches and kicks. While each one managed to land a hit, they virtually had no effect. As the girl tried to throw what she thought was a knockout punch, Cairo caught her hand as if she was moving in slow motion.

He squeezed her hand and said, "Now you will see what happens to those who speak ill of my family. By the way, my okaa-chan is the red haired woman standing next to Naruto in the stands."

He then laid Sakura out with a haymaker and said, "I'm not a Kage for nothing. My punches are on par with the Godaime Hokage. Compared to her, you're less than nothing."

Sakura slowly stood up and tried to stab Cairo with a kunai. The Yamikage quickly made a string of handsigns and said, "**Inyōton: Spiritual unrest**," and slapped Sakura back to the ground.

He smirked and said, "Now I don't have to worry about you passing out on me before I finish you off. Now, let me show you the strength of the family you've disrespected. **Ninpo: Kuchiyōse no jutsu!**"

In a large puff of smoke, Cairo was surrounded by six people with red hair and black battle robes. Sakura smirked and said, "You just called for outside help. This match goes to me by default."

Cairo shook his head at this. "They are not outside help. They are a jutsu that can only be used by a wielder of the Rinnegan."

Stands…

Kushina, Hiruzen, and Tsunade all recognized one of the six people as Mito Senju, better known as Mito Uzumaki and the fox's first container. Tsunade gasped and asked, "How is my obaa-chan alive? She died years ago."

Kushina shook her head and said, "She's not completely alive. Cairo is using her body and one of the **Rinnegan Rikudo**. All I can say about the other five is that they're possibly from our old clan."

Tsunade could only stare on as she thought, "_Obaa-chan, what will you and Cairo show me?_"

Arena floor…

Cairo turned to the group and said, "Only Deva will assist me. The rest of you will stay back unless I call you."

As the other paths jumped back, Deva (whom I'll be referring to as Mito from now on) slowly walked to stand beside her vassal. Cairo growled and said, "Don't kill her. Other than that, show no mercy."

Mito nodded and said, "It will be done. We shall show this girl the true fears of the night."

Sakura scoffed and said, "Is that cheap whore the best you can do? This should be easy."

Mito gave a blank look to Cairo and said, "I'm going to enjoy this more than I should."

Cairo just took one step forward and vanished into thin air with Mito falling in suit. Sakura didn't even have time to react as Mito's fist made contact with her face.

As the girl went flying, Cairo appeared in the line of fire and said, "**Shinra tensei!**"

The force of the blast sent Sakura barreling back at Mito. Cairo's Deva path lifted a large chunk of stone from the ground and said, "**Bansho Ten'in!**"

Sakura suddenly felt herself flying even faster at the boulder. Without warning, her body impacted into the stone and fell to the ground. The girl silently wished for this torture to end as she twitched in pain.

Cairo held out a hand and used his gravity control to lift Sakura into the air. He levitated her to a point where everyone could see her battered form and shouted, "This is what happens to those who dare to question my right to rule!"

Mito then lifted a hand and pointed to Sakura. She waited for a moment before saying, "**Bansho Ten'in!**"

Everyone watched in morbid fascination, or sadistic glee in Anko and Kushina's case, as the obnoxious gennin slammed into the stadium floor.

In her crater, Sakura whimpered as she struggled to say, "How could you be so heartless?"

Cairo turned to her and said, "That wasn't heartless. It would've been heartless if I had used the Legion Call. You would've been begging for death before I even began."

Sakura coughed up some blood before asking, "What kind of a Kage attacks a gennin for no reason?"

Cairo slapped her and said, "Listen to me and listen well, you conceited little bitch. When you overstep your boundaries, you should expect to be punished."

He grabbed her by the throat and tossed her back to the ground. "What you did however goes well beyond that point. You act as if you're a gift from Kami-sama."

He then kicked her in the chest, causing her to cough up even more blood. "You've disrespected me on numerous occasions. Normally, I would've let that slide. Sadly, you crossed the line by insulting my family, my people, and my home. That is truly unforgivable to me."

He held out a hand and said, "I could blast you into oblivion and be done with it. However, I'll send you back to Konoha alive as a personal message. You will tell your tramp of a mother that if Konoha wishes to have any chance of an alliance with my village, they will drop you from the shinobi program until _I_ deem you fit to be a ninja."

As Cairo started to walk away, he turned around and said, "**Inyōton: Painful slumber.**"

Everyone watched in shock as Sakura let out a deafening scream before passing out. Cairo then turned to the Konoha shinobi and said, "This exhibition is hereby over. Hokage-dono, take your shinobi and leave my village at once. Until I say otherwise, there will be no alliance between our villages and Konoha is banned from Kagegakure. Cheshire, I want you to escort them out of the village."

The young Anbu nodded as she opened a portal to Konoha. She looked at Tsunade and said, "I want you to know that you all got off easy. For a moment, I thought he was about to declare war with your village. Now leave before his ire increases."

As the group left through the rift, Kushina and Minato took a final glance at their enraged son before departing the village.

Back in Konoha…

The entire group reappeared in the Chunnin Exam stadium. Tsunade turned to the clan heads and said, "Report to the council chambers. I'll be there in a moment."

She then turned to Kakashi and said, "Take Sakura to the hospital. After that, find the nearest Anbu and tell them to summon the civilian council. After that, all teams are to report to the council chambers for an important meeting. If anyone doesn't show without a good enough reason, you'll be locked away under sedition and suspicion of treason."

Everyone quickly moved out, leaving Tsunade alone with Sarutobi. She let out a long sigh and said, "I've never seen him so angry, Sarutobi-sensei. Something tells me that this won't end well."

Before Hiruzen could respond, a scroll appeared at Tsunade's feet. The two things that shocked her were the Uzumaki crest and the reddish gold feather that was tied around the scroll.

Hiruzen took the feather in his hand and said, "Tsunade-chan, this is no ordinary feather."

The Godaime pulled it away from the scroll and said, "I don't know about that, sensei. It looks like a regular old bird's feather to me."

Without warning, a hand grabbed the feather and took it from her grasp. Tsunade turned to see Jiraiya giving it a glance. He then rubbed it betwixt his fingers and said, "This could've only come from Cairo, Tsunade-hime. He's the only person with access to this species of bird."

The current Hokage growled and said, "Will one of you just tell me what's so special about this feather!?"

Sarutobi chuckled and said, "This feather comes from the tail of a fully matured phoenix. The scroll can only be from Cairo because the Phoenix contract is currently in his possession. He must have absolute trust in you to give you a phoenix feather."

Tsunade looked down at the scroll and said, "I wonder what he trusts me with so much that he'd send one of those with the scroll."

She then opened the scroll and gasped. The blonde Senju rolled up the scroll and said, "I can't believe he would send me this of all things. Sensei, this is a scroll that contains an old jutsu devised by Mito obaa-chan."

Sarutobi quickly looked at the contents of the scroll. As soon as he came to a certain spot, he tossed the scroll down in surprise.

Realizing his mistake, he shoved the document into Tsunade's arms and said, "You must hide that scroll with Kushina as soon as possible. It will only be safe in the Namikaze mansion."

Tsunade nodded as she thought, "_Cairo, why would you trust me with something like this?_"

Later…

As the council had finally come together, Tsunade and Hiruzen entered the room and shut the doors behind them. Tsunade took her place on the dais and said, "I have called this meeting to order to shed some light on a recent situation. After the invasion during the Chunnin Exams, Sarutobi-sensei and I spoke to the Yamikage about a potential alliance. At first, it seemed that he was more than happy to form an alliance with our village."

The civilians smirked at the thought of gaining new resources and profits from the elusive village. Hiruzen stood up and said, "Sadly, that potential alliance now hangs by a delicate thread."

Saiyuri quickly asked, "Tsunade-san, what could possibly cause the alliance to falter?"

Tsunade slammed her fist on the dais. "First, you will _not_ address me as if we hold equal status! You will address me as Hokage-sama or Tsunade-sama! Second, your daughter felt that it was appropriate to insult the Yamikage and his people within their home village. He has officially stated that Sakura Haruno is to be dropped from the shinobi program if there is to be any chance at an alliance."

Saiyuri jumped up and said, "I will not allow it. I don't care if the alliance fails. You will not take my Sakura-chan's shinobi license."

Tsunade smirked and said, "That's not up for you to decide. Seeing as how Sakura is still currently a ninja, the shinobi council shall decide her fate."

Trying to find a way to stop the Hokage, Saiyuri looked around the room and saw Naruto whispering to Hinata. The pink-haired woman, thinking Naruto still had a crush on her daughter, desperately shouted, "Naruto-san, surely you don't want to see Sakura-chan have her license stripped from her. After all, I'm sure Sakura-chan would appreciate you saving her from such a fate."

Naruto just looked at his parents and said, "I apologize for any rude language you're about to hear. Haruno-san, I want to make something clear to you. The crush I had on your pathetic daughter was only brought on by the seal you meddlesome fools had placed on me as a child. I have no romantic or even friendly feelings for your daughter."

He paused for a brief second to let his words sink in. "When I tried to be a friend to her, it was you who turned her away from me. Also, I know the part you played in what happened six years ago. Did you honestly believe that Cairo nii-san wouldn't tell me that it was you who bribed Fugaku-teme to come after us?"

Saiyuri nervously looked around and said, "N-Naruto-san, I have no idea about what you're saying."

Naruto scoffed at her thinly veiled attempt at a lie. "You can't fool me, you worthless tramp. You've known for over eight years now that Cairo and I were the Yondaime's children."

He slowly began pacing the room as he continued, "However, you couldn't stand the fact that our tou-san chose our kaa-chan over you. You hated our kaa-chan for taking away your chances of getting your trashy hands on the Namikaze fortune, so you decided to vent your anger and jealousy on us."

Naruto then stopped in front of her and said, "What's worse is that because of you, my brother was cast out of Konoha and left to die in a ditch. I can only hope that Tsunade-sama takes her license away for a long time."

Saiyuri nervously chuckled. She could feel Kushina's glare trying to burn her alive. "Naruto-san, how could you say such things?"

Naruto gave her the one-finger salute and said, "Go rot in hell, you fugly bitch. If I could have my way, you and that whore you call a daughter would be living on the very streets you paid the orphanage to toss my nii-san and I out on."

The blonde then smirked as he toyed with a shuriken. "By the way, don't ever try to use that old _crush_ on me again. As I've already said, I have no love for your daughter. I'd even go so far as to say that I hate her with everything I am. I have all of the love and happiness I could ever need in my Hinata-chan. Compared to her, your daughter isn't even worth half of the crap that spews from her oversized trap."

He then grabbed Hinata's hand and kissed her on the cheek. Saiyuri growled and said, "Damn you, you little bastard child. I should've had you and that damned brother of yours killed all those years ago. How dare you insult my daughter, you bastard!? My dear Sakura-chan is a much better choice for a girlfriend than that blue-haired skank you have clinging to you."

On the other side of the dais, Hiashi was completely furious. He was about to make a stand when Naruto grabbed Saiyuri by the neck and tossed her across the room…at Kushina's feet. Kushina looked down at the woman before kicking her in the face.

Everyone within range heard a loud 'crack', confirming that the Uzumaki matriarch had broken Saiyuri's nose. Kushina tossed her to the middle of the floor and said, "You don't know how long I've wanted to do that."

Tsunade decided that enough was enough and cleared her throat to regain control of the meeting. "As hilarious and well-deserved as that was, we need to get back on schedule. Will all those in favor of revoking Sakura Haruno's license raise their hands?"

Everyone on the shinobi council lifted their right hand into the air. Tsunade nodded and said, "Will all those who oppose this vote raise their hands?"

The civvies and the three meddlers quickly shot their hands into the air. The Godaime pretended to count them before saying, "With a unanimous vote, Sakura Haruno will hereby have her license stripped from her until such a time she is deemed fit to be a shinobi."

One of the civvies shouted, "How is that a unanimous vote!? The civilian council voted against you!"

Tsunade just sneered. "This is a shinobi affair. Your votes hold absolutely no standing in this meeting."

Homura nodded before saying, "I understand that, but why did you not count our three votes?"

Godaime turned to him and simply said, "I don't like you three. Also, you're all retired from the shinobi program. Your votes don't count either. I hereby call this meeting to a close."

Without even looking back, Tsunade turned to the doors. She had her hand on the door when a black spectral bird appeared in the center of the room. The energy from the bird vanished and revealed Raven in its place.

Raven bowed to Tsunade before saying, "I have a message from Cairo-sama. He requests that Maito Gai brings his student Lee to the Nidaime's head on the monument within three hours."

Tsunade had no time to question her as she vanished in a swirl of black energy. Tsunade turned to Gai and said, "You have your instructions, Gai. I suggest you get moving."

Meanwhile…

Orochimaru struggled to sit up as his elite force, the Sound 4, surrounded his bed. The traitorous sannin smirked before saying, "I have a special assignment for you four. You are to venture to Konoha and retrieve one Sasuke Uchiha."

The only female of the group scoffed and asked, "What's so special about this tree-huggin' pissant that we have to go after him?"

The larger member of the group frowned and said, "Tayuya, a lady shouldn't use such foul language."

Tayuya scoffed and said, "Piss of, you fat bastard. Nobody asked for your opinion."

A man with six arms sighed and said, "Can the two of you compose yourselves in front of Orochimaru-sama for at least five minutes?"

Orochimaru just smirked and said, "Let them have their fun, Kidomaru. After all, I rarely ever get to send the four of you anywhere."

Unbeknownst to the group, Kabuto had been listening outside of the room. "_It seems that Orochimaru is making his move. I must inform Guren about this development. She might have a decent plan of action._"

He quickly walked down the hall and turned the corner. After walking for several more minutes, he slipped into a room and placed a security seal on the door.

As soon as the seal was active, he was forced to dodge a crystal that was aimed at his head. He turned around to see Guren lowering the second crystal that she was holding.

The woman moved from her bed and said, "I hope you have a good reason for actually coming into my room."

Kabuto held his hands up in an act of peace and said, "We have a serious emergency. Orochimaru is moving in on the Uchiha and we need a plan."

The crystal user nodded and said, "We have to inform Cairo-sama that his plans are going to be started sooner than he wanted."

Kabuto turned to the door and said, "While you're gone, I need you to give Dylan a message for me."

He just tossed her a scroll before removing the seal and leaving the room. After walking down another corridor, he entered a medical room that only held one patient.

He walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. "Kimimaro, I know you're awake. Not even you can fool a medic."

The patient groaned and said, "I assume that you still haven't found a cure."

The medic patted Kimimaro's leg and said, "I've gotten close to a cure, but Orochimaru will not be pleased about you recovering."

Kimimaro sat up and said, "I don't care what that liar says anymore. I'd rather fight for someone who actually cares about my well-being."

Kabuto let off a sly grin and said, "Is that so? How would you like to meet the man responsible for your upcoming recovery?"

Kagegakure…

Guren silently slipped into her sensei's office with practiced ease. She placed a scroll on Cairo's desk and said, "Cairo-sensei, we have to act. Orochimaru has sent the Sound 4 after the Uchiha child."

In a yellow flash, Cairo appeared in his seat. "I honestly thought we had more time, Guren. Get back to your station and make sure that Orochimaru doesn't suspect anything. Also, should he manage to get the Uchiha away from Konoha, I need you to find a way to stall the Uchiha until Orochimaru is forced to switch bodies again."

Guren nodded as her body began to crystallize. Cairo turned to the statue and thought, "_We've come too far to let him stop us. I refuse to let that monster ruin what I've worked for._"

The young Kage silently walked out to his balcony and watched the sun set. "_I will not let it end when it has only begun._"


	22. 20: Plans, News, and Defections

A Brother's Return

Ch.20

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, Witch language, demons: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts, ect…: _**bold italicized**_

(): author speaking

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Tsunade wouldn't be as old as she is.

At the moment, the only word that could be used to describe Sasuke was furious. Not only had the Yamikage denied him access to his village's scrolls, he also chose to exclude him from a rare training session.

Right now, he was walking through the village when he saw Naruto entering the Yamanaka flower shop. The Uchiha quickly ran up to him and grabbed his arm.

On instinct, Naruto pinned him to the ground and placed a kunai at his neck. "You're leaking rage and malicious intent like a broken faucet. Tell me what you want and then go the hell away."

Sasuke growled at the Jonin and said, "I want you to fight me, Naruto. I want to see what that brother of yours has taught you."

Naruto just let him go and said, "What I learned in Kagegakure is not a public matter. It would be wise if you just dropped the subject. Also, attacking me when I haven't provoked you is a crime."

Sasuke sneered and said, "What's the matter? Are you afraid that your skills are nothing when compared to an elite Uchiha like me?"

Naruto just sighed at the boy's arrogance. "Your name doesn't mean much without the skills to back it up. As far as I'm concerned, you're just some random gennin who has an attitude problem."

Sasuke just stood up and said, "Don't talk down to me as if you were my superior."

Naruto gave a wicked grin. "In case you haven't realized, I _am_ your superior. Now go away before I write you up for inappropriate conduct."

The blonde then turned away to enter the shop. Sasuke, however, had a different idea. He charged up a **chidori** and tried to stab Naruto in the spine.

Before he could reach his target, Naruto spun around and kicked him to the ground before aiming a **rasengan** at his head. He then looked down and said, "If you do as much as twitch, I'll slam this into your skull. You have to be either very brave of very stupid to attack a Jonin, and I know for a fact that you're a coward."

He then kicked the Uchiha in his chest before walking into the store. A few moments later, he walked out with a bouquet of white lilies. He took a final look at Sasuke before vanishing in a burst of smoke.

The Uchiha just growled again as he walked off. The constant thought on his mind was, "_How dare that loser of a Kage deny me training? I deserve to be taught by a Kage more than those losers he picked._"

His thoughts quickly zeroed in on Naruto. "_It's probably that dobe's fault. I bet he told his brother not to train me just so he could laugh about it in my face._"

Before he knew it, he had ventured deep into the woods. A length of ninja wire coiled around him and bound him to a tree as four shinobi with Oto headbands suddenly dropped from the very tree he was tied to.

Tayuya looked at him and sneered. "Is this the jackass that Orochimaru-sama wanted us to grab? I'm hardly impressed."

Kidomaru pulled out a picture and said, "Yeah, this is the Uchiha brat. I don't know why Orochimaru-sama wants him, though. He looks completely weak."

Sasuke's eyes widened at the mention of Orochimaru. He remembered that Orochimaru had been the one to give him his curse mark.

It then dawned on him that if the sannin could do that, he could grant Sasuke the needed power to kill Itachi. Sasuke just smirked before saying, "If Orochimaru wants me to join him; I'll gladly accept his invitation. This village has done nothing but hold me back from gaining real power."

The one with white hair grinned and said, "This is fortunate news. Meet us outside of the southern gates at midnight."

With that, the Sound 4 vanished and the wires holding Sasuke fell from their position.

Kagegakure…

Cairo sat in his office with a recently promoted Chūnin. He looked at the girl before asking, "Are you completely sure that everything you told me is true?"

The rookie Chūnin nodded. "I am positive, Cairo-sama. I believe that from the description you have given me of your family, there are at least two kunoichi from the Uzumaki clan within his ranks. Whether or not they know of their lineage is something I can't be sure of."

Cairo stopped to contemplate this news. This was an opportunity to try and reunite some of his family. Suddenly, a knock on his office doors broke his train of thought.

With a quick 'enter', the door opened to reveal Kabuto. The medic gave a short bow before saying, "Cairo-sama, the Sound 4 has made contact with the Uchiha. He intends to leave Konoha tonight and join Orochimaru."

The young Kage growled before standing up. "Kabuto, wait until after he leaves the village and then inform Tsunade once he's gone."

Kabuto nodded and said, "It will be done, Cairo-sama. Also, I've taken the liberty of delivering Dylan his patient. I helped him create a blood clone to act as a stand in. Our plan is to have the clone go into the battle and 'die' fighting."

Cairo nodded and said, "While you're in Oto, run a blood test on a pair of girls named Karin and Tayuya. Cross-examine both girls' blood with a sample of my blood."

If this request confused Kabuto, he didn't show it. As soon as he left the office, Cairo turned to the Jonin and said, "Kin Tsuchi, consider this to be your first A-Ranked mission. I want this Tayuya brought in alive and possibly unharmed."

Kin nodded and vanished in a shunshin. Wishing to use every valuable second, Cairo quickly shouted, "Raven!"

Said kunoichi appeared through a swirling black portal on the floor. Cairo wrote something in a scroll and said, "Gather your old gennin team and wait for further orders."

The Jonin nodded before changing into her spectral bird form and flying through the walls. Once she was gone, Cairo snapped his fingers and summoned two Anbu. He turned to them and said, "Oni, I have a mission that you might be interested in."

The Anbu straightened his composure as his leader said, "It has come to my attention that the rebellion in Kirigakure is still going on. I want you to send a message to the leader of the rebellion stating that I wish to assist them. If they accept, I will send two of my best squads to help overthrow the current Mizukage."

Oni ripped his mask off and said, "I really don't want to do that right now. While I do want to help my old village, I have no intentions of facing the leader of the rebellion just yet."

Cairo smirked and said, "Zabuza, I've never known you to be nervous. Why does the leader of the rebellion unnerve you?"

Zabuza just grumbled something before his partner elbowed him in the ribs. The masked Anbu quickly said, "Please forgive him, sir. He's just scared because the leader of the rebellion is his former lover, Mei Terumi. She believes that he sold them out to Yagura."

Cairo jumped up and asked, "You don't mean the hot redhead with the long hair, blue dress, and the ability to melt people by breathing acidic steam on them, do you Haku?"

Haku just nodded at his leader's question. Cairo looked at Zabuza and said, "I'm sorry but we need are going to need Kiri as an ally. You're going and that's final. I don't care if Haku has to drag you by the ankles. You are gonna look that woman in the eye and _beg_ for her forgiveness if you have to."

Zabuza just sighed as he put his mask back on and vanished alongside Haku. Cairo removed his Kage robes and snapped his fingers again, causing Cheshire to appear in his office in a low bow.

The Yamikage motioned for her to stand before saying, "I have to leave the village. While I'm gone, you will act as Yamikage. I have a list of instructions on the desk so that you'll be able to follow on everything that'll happen while I'm gone."

Cheshire removed her mask before donning the ceremonial Kage robe and hat. Cairo just smirked and said, "You look good in those, Jade. Maybe I should make you my replacement."

He then pulled a scroll from his sleeve and summoned a red cloak with gold flames swirling around the edges and an Anbu mask. After removing his black coat, he put on the red one and placed the mask on his face.

Almost instantly, his hair shortened to shoulder length and turned bloody red. Cheshire whistled and said, "Good luck and Godspeed, Phoenix."

Cairo nodded and vanished in a flash of golden fire. As soon as he was gone, Jade kicked her feet up on the desk and fell asleep in her chair.

Amegakure…

Deva Pein and Konan were both standing on the balcony of the Ame tower when they sensed a familiar chakra behind them. Not wanting to take any risks, Pein summoned a chakra rod while Konan summoned a pair of paper kunai.

The slowly lowered their weapons when an all too familiar voice said, "Yahiko, I need to speak with the Outer Path."

Yahiko turned around to see an Anbu with red hair and a phoenix mask. What kept him relaxed was the tattoo on his left arm. It was a silver moon with a purple crescent perfectly overlapping the whole of the insignia.

Yahiko turned to Konan and said, "Take him to the tree. Nagato will be waiting for him."

Konan nodded and sauntered over to the Anbu. She then placed a hand on his shoulder and whisked him away in a shunshin. A few moments later, the pair arrived at what appeared to be a large tree made of paper.

Quickly stepping inside, Cairo came face to face with the sight of Nagato doing push-ups. Phoenix chuckled and said, "I see that you've been getting into shape, Nagato."

The elder Uzumaki stood up and said, "I have Konan to thank for that. She constantly stays on my ass about maintaining my new health. It also helps that I've been doing kenjutsu training."

Phoenix quickly straightened his posture and said, "I hope you realize that I'm not here for a social call. I need some information on a shinobi named Yagura."

Nagato gasped in surprise at the Anbu's request. "What would you need to know about the Mizukage?"

Phoenix pulled out a scroll and said, "I know for a fact that Yagura didn't just randomly start the bloodline feud. Something caused him to start this bloody war and I need to know what happened to him."

Nagato stared off into the distance. "It was Madara. He used his sharingan to possess the Mizukage. His intentions were to wipe out any opposing bloodline wielders who might try to stand up to them. There is also the fact that Yagura is the jinchūriki of the Sanbi no Kyōdaigame."

The Anbu wrote all of this on his scroll and rolled it up. "Thank you for the information. Now I'll be able to formulate a decent plan of action."

Nagato smirked and asked, "Are you going to kill him?"

Phoenix placed the scroll in his sleeve and said, "I'm going to try and save him. Killing him will be my last resort. Now I have to get out of here. There are a few more tasks I have to see through."

Before anyone could blink, the Anbu vanished in a pillar of flames.

Konoha hospital…

Sakura was completely livid. Not only did Naruto's brother deny Sasuke any training, he also got her suspended from the shinobi program.

"_It's all Naruto-baka's fault,_" she thought. "_He's been getting in Sasuke-kun's way ever since we started on this team. Also, who does he think he's fooling? It's obvious that he'd dating that Hyūga tramp to try and make me jealous._"

She then looked out the window and growled at what she saw. Naruto was currently walking hand in hand with Hinata while also carrying a bouquet of flowers. Hinata kissed him on the cheek when he handed her the lilies.

This only served to make Sakura even angrier. "_I can't believe that baka insulted my okaa-san in front of the council and refused to stand up for me. That idiot was supposed to beg for the council to let me keep my license._"

The girl was brought from her musings when the object of her current ire stepped into her room. Sakura growled and asked, "What do you want, baka? Haven't you already done enough…?"

She was cut off by the back of Naruto's hand connecting with her cheek. "Listen to me and listen well, you tramp. Ino told me about your little plan to try and break me and Hinata-chan up. I just want you to know that I will never like you and I would never attempt to go on a date with you. In all honesty, you're the only person that I hate more than Sasuke-teme. At least he understands when to keep his mouth shut."

Sakura spat at him and said, "You don't have any right to insult me. After everything I've done to try and win Sasuke-kun's affections, you've managed to ruin my plans at every turn. Now, if you dump that little slut of yours and help me win Sasuke-kun over, I might just give you a pity date."

Naruto made a gagging noise. "I already told you that I despise you, Sakura. Why do you think I pushed so hard to have your license stripped from you?"

Sakura gasped as the blonde continued, "During the council meeting, your whore of a mother thought she could use me to try and save your ninja career. I made sure that I got my point across that I never wanted to see you wearing our village's hitai-ate again. In fact…"

He quickly snatched Sakura's headband off of her head. "You don't deserve to wear this. It is the symbol of a hard working shinobi and you have only brought it shame."

As he made to leave the room, he turned around and slapped the girl again. "By the way, if you ever insult my girlfriend or my family again, there won't be enough of you to left to bury in a matchbox."

Before leaving the room, Naruto turned back and said, "You have no one to blame but yourself. You were a pathetic excuse for a shinobi and I'm glad that you were stripped of your title."

Naruto closed the door just in time to avoid being hit with a flower vase. Moments later, a doctor on good terms with Naruto strolled in and said, "Your injuries have been healed now get out. We have_** real**_ shinobi who need this room more than you do."

Sakura growled as the medic left her room. She swore that she would make Naruto pay for humiliating her.

Gates of Hell…

Phoenix quickly flashed in and took a seat at the bar. Rodin gave him a look and said, "The angels are getting restless. Apparently, they've gone and found themselves a safe haven in one of the smaller villages."

Phoenix ordered a glass of sake and asked, "What village are those winged rats trying to hide in?"

Rodin set the drink down and said, "They're hiding out in a village called Otogakure no Sato."

Phoenix gripped the bottle of sake so hard that it shattered in his grip. "Are you serious!? Do they really think that someone like that traitor will be completely oblivious to their presence for long?"

An elegant yet sultry voice smoothly said, "Therein lays the problem. Orochimaru is completely aware of them in his village. He has allied himself with the Lumen in return for use of their armies and weapons."

The Anbu turned his head to see Jeanne in her red outfit. Cairo ripped off his Anbu mask and said, "I can't believe that bastard would ally himself with the Lumen. On second thought, this really doesn't surprise me that much. That man will do anything for power."

The Yamikage reaffixed his mask to his face and said, "I need to warn Kabuto and Guren. I refuse to let them be in range of that kind of danger."

Rodin nodded and said, "I'll keep you posted if anything new comes up."

Phoenix waved his thanks and exited through the portal that led to Konoha. As soon as he was gone, a figure made his way to the bar from the back of the room. Rodin looked at him and said, "Neji, what can I do for you today?"

The young Hyūga looked around before saying, "I need a few answers about the upcoming threat. My first question is this; did Cairo-dono choose to train us so that we would fight in a war that was never ours?"

The bald man shook his head. "I know how Cairo operates. He wouldn't just ask someone to fight his battles for him. If anything, he did it so that you could protect yourselves from the threat of the Lumen. Now, what other questions are buggin' you?"

Hokage office…

Tsunade and Sarutobi were shifting through stacks of paperwork when an Anbu appeared in the office. Upon closer observation, they saw that this Anbu was one from Cairo's village. The Godaime sighed as she said, "I assume you have a message for me."

Phoenix nodded and said, "Dark times are approaching for everyone. Know your friends and watch your enemies. Smooth out all rough gemstones and learn to hold your breath. It's time to either pull the weeds from the garden or manage them to at least look like flowers. You need to get a weasel to keep the snakes out of your yard. And make sure that you find the silver lining in the clouds and avoid any rainfall for the time being. Also, I hear that the beaches are nice but you should keep close to the shaded areas until the afternoon."

With that being said, Phoenix vanished in a swirl of feathers. Tsunade turned to her sensei and said, "Did you make any sense of that, Sarutobi-sensei?"

Sarutobi adjusted his collar, "The message that Cairo had his messenger give us was encrypted. I'll have Jiraiya-kun look into it."

Later that night…

Sasuke Uchiha had packed his things and was currently making his way to the southern gates. He had almost reached the imposing doors when a figure said, "Sasuke-kun, why are you out so late?"

Without even turning around, Sasuke knew that it had been Sakura to stop him. "I could ask you the same question. Didn't you just get released from the hospital this morning?"

Sakura nodded and said, "That's unimportant right now. Are you leaving the village?"

Sasuke just scoffed. "Why would I stay here? Everyone in this village has been holding me back. I'm going somewhere where I can gain real power."

He then turned to her and said, "Let me guess, you came here to try and stop me."

Sakura shook her head. "I want to go with you. I want to get stronger so that I can make Naruto-baka pay for ruining my life."

The Uchiha just walked forward and said, "You had better keep up if you want to follow me."

Without any other words, the two of them left their village in search of a new power.

Later…

Once the two of them had arrived at the meeting point, Kidomaru bowed and said, "I'm glad you made it, Sasuke-sama. And it seems that you've brought a friend."

Sasuke smirked at his tone. "What's with the change of attitude?"

Sakon grinned and said, "Orochimaru-sama told us that if you accepted our offer, you were to become our leader for this mission. Now, it would be best if we departed for the village."

As the group of six turned to vanish in the night, the moon gave off an ominous glow. Sasuke took one look at it and thought, "_Soon, I'll end you Itachi._"


	23. 21: Hunt for the Traitors!

A Brother's Return

Ch. 21

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, Witch language, demons: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts, ect…: _**bold italicized**_

(): author speaking

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Jiraiya wouldn't be as much of a pervert as he is.

…

…

On second thought; yes he would.

The next morning-Hokage's office…

Tsunade was currently battling against her paperwork when there was a knock on the office door. After a brief 'come in', Tsunade watched as a disheveled looking Kabuto stumbled into her domain. The Godaime cracked her knuckles and said, "You've got a good three seconds to explain yourself before I crack your skull open."

Kabuto held up his hands in submission and took a step back. "You should calm down, Tsunade-sama. I don't think that Cairo-sama would appreciate you killing a messenger."

At the mention of Cairo's name, Tsunade managed to quell enough of her rage to notice that Kabuto was wearing the headband of Cairo's village. The blonde medic just sighed before saying, "I assume you're here on an important matter."

Kabuto nodded and said, "Cairo-sama feels you should be aware that Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno have defected from Konoha to join Orochimaru."

Tsunade glared at him for a moment and said, "You're not joking. This is bad news. Kitsune!"

Out of nowhere, a redheaded Anbu wearing a fox mask appeared in a bow. Tsunade quickly said, "Bring me Naruto Namikaze at once."

The Anbu nodded before vanishing in a swirl of fire. Kabuto whistled and said, "There's an Anbu with some style."

Seconds later, Naruto appeared in his usual attire and a red cloak with a white fox on the back. Tsunade wasted no time in saying, "It seems your old teammates have decided to join Orochimaru. Form up a squad and bring them back either dead or alive. Also, Cairo has some of his shinobi pursuing a member of the Sound 4. If you're forced into fighting her, leave her alive at all costs."

Naruto nodded before vanishing in a swirl of wind. Kabuto turned to Tsunade and said, "While I'm here, Yamikage-sama wishes me to assist you in any way I can. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Tsunade handed him a medical jacket and said, "Shizune could use your help at the hospital."

The white haired shinobi nodded and vanished. Tsunade just sat back and pulled out a bottle of sake from her secret stash.

Nara clam compound…

Naruto quickly sped past the gates of Shika's house before knocking on the main door. Moments later, Yoshino opened the door and said, "Naruto-san, Shikamaru is out back tending to the deer."

Naruto nodded his thanks and ran to the back yard. True to Yoshino's words, Shikamaru was currently feeding the last deer in the pen. "Shikamaru, gear up and find Chouji and Ino. We've got a mission to carry out. I want you to meet me at The Gates of Hell in an hour."

Shika just muttered 'troublesome' before running into the house to inform his mother of the mission. Not even waiting for a response, Naruto vanished into thin air.

Hyūga clan compound…

Neji and Hinata were quietly enjoying their lunch when Hiashi and Naruto walked into the room. Hiashi exited the room as Naruto said, "Sasuke and Sakura have gone rogue. Gear up, find your teammates and meet me at The Gates of Hell in one hour."

Neji cleared his throat. "Naruto-san, I should inform you that Lee will not be able to join us."

Naruto chuckled deeply. "I already know about that. Get moving because we don't have a lot of time."

Hinata and Neji both jumped up and vanished via shunshin. Naruto stepped into the hall and said, "They will be fine, Hiashi-sama."

As soon as Naruto was gone, Hiashi quietly said, "That is something I do not doubt."

The Gates of Hell-one hour later… 

As the last of the team filed into the bar, Naruto calmly said, "We don't have a lot of time, so I'll make this quick. Last night, Sasuke and Sakura defected from Konoha to join Orochimaru. Our mission is to bring them back either dead or alive."

Tenten raised her hand and said, "Naruto-taichō, why are there so many of us on this mission?"

Naruto smirked and said, "That's a good question. Our Intel has informed us that Orochimaru is sending out his best squad along with some dangerous reinforcements. Also, there is a second part to this mission. There is a member of the group named Tayuya. We are to aid the Yamikage's shinobi in capturing her. She is to be captured alive at all costs. Dead is not an option for her. Now, does anyone have any questions?"

Seeing that no one raised their hands, Naruto turned to Rodin and said, "Our friend here has something that will assist you on this mission."

Rodin pulled out a small box that was full of small gold rings. "These rings were made to allow you to see those winged rats. All things considered, this'll be the perfect chance for you all to start racking up on halos. Bring in enough and you get a few new toys. By the way, I've taken the liberty of providing you guys with some faster transportation. It'll be waitin' for you at the gates."

As everyone made to leave, Rodin smirked at their retreating forms. "_It's a good thing I sent Jeanne and Bayonetta out there. They just might need the help._"

Konoha gates…

Naruto turned to the group and said, "Before we go, I want to say something. I know those idiots well enough to know that they think no one can stop them. I also know that the group is heavily guarded. When we catch up to them, we take them down."

With no more words to be said, the team made it to the guard post where Bayonetta and Jeanne were waiting. Propped up behind them were twelve motorcycles with helmets. Bayonetta jumped on hers and said, "Saddle up and let's ride!"

Sound 4…

As the group of six entered a small clearing, Sakon pulled out a small bottle and said, "Sasuke, before we go any further, we need to unlock the full potential of your curse mark. However, you will have to die for us to do that."

Sakura whipped out a kunai and said, "I won't let you kill Sasuke-kun. You'll have to go through me first."

Kidomaru smirked at the girl's boldness. "Calm down, girlie. We're not really going to kill him. The pills in Sakon's hand will force the Uchiha's body to shut down as if he was dead. We'll then place him in a special barrier that will keep him contained long enough for his body to adjust to the new curse mark."

Sasuke just looked at Sakon and said, "Let's do this."

He then took the small pill before collapsing on the ground. Not a moment later, Jirobo placed him in a round barrel. The barrel was then filled with a black mist and sealed off with four tags.

Jirobo hefted the barrel onto hid back as Kidomaru said, "Let's get back on track. We can't afford to waste any more time."

Just as the group was about to set out again, a strange noise halted their movements. Without a single warning, the Konoha team had the Oto group and Sakura surrounded.

Naruto jumped off his bike and said, "Sakura, I'm not surprised to see you out here. Now, you only have two options at the moment. Either surrender and return to Konoha or we will use force."

Jirobo let out a dark laugh and handed Tayuya the barrel. "You guys go on ahead. I can handle these losers by myself."

While the rest of the Oto group made their escape, Naruto stepped forward and said, "What makes you believe you can handle all of us?"

Jirobo just sneered as a golden light appeared in the sky. "I don't like to play fair."

Bayonetta cursed as about twenty Affinity angels flew down from the sky. Traveling close behind them were five Applaud archangels. Chouji quickly balled his fists and said, "Naruto-taichō, I'll stay behind and take care of this. You guys keep moving and finish the mission."

Ino quickly jumped to her teammate's side. "I'll stay with him. There's no way I'm letting him fight alone."

Naruto just nodded as the rest of the group dismounted their rides. "I expect the two of you to come back alive."

With that, the retrieval team took to the trees and vanished. Jirobo looked at the duo and scoffed. "I get to fight a fatass tubby kid and some cheap floozy!? This must be my lucky day."

Chouji cracked his knuckles while Ino just quickly summoned Gilgamesh and said, "I am gonna kill you…_**slowly**_!"

Further ahead…

Neji and Hinata used their Byakugan to survey the incoming area for traps when a multitude of webs began pinning the team to trees. Kidomaru jumped down and said, "It looks like some of you managed to slip past Jirobo. Too bad the same can't be said of your friends back there. Jirobo will make short work of them like I'm going to do to you."

Naruto smirked and said, "I wouldn't be too sure about that."

Before the multi-armed man could reply, the entire team vanished in bursts of smoke. He was then blasted off his feet with a shout of, "**Eight trigrams: Air palm!**"

Neji and Hinata jumped down from their hiding spot in the canopy. Hinata looked around and said, "Neji, he's coming in from the left."

Sadly, her warning came in too late as the two of them were pinned against a large tree by webs. The Oto shinobi quickly focused his attention on Neji and said, "Say goodnight, you pest."

He then spat out a long stream of a golden substance that was aimed at Neji's heart. While this was happening, Hinata activated her Kesshō Byakugan to study the webbing. She then powered her eyes down and said, "Neji, break the webs with a burst of chakra!"

The male Hyūga quickly let out a blast of chakra to free himself and jumped over the golden material at the last second. He then ran along the solid web in a beeline to Kidomaru's location.

The human spider disconnected himself from the golden web in an attempt to get away, but Neji had already reached him. "Now you will learn not to mess with Konoha."

Oto group…

As Sakura travelled with the other two members of the Sound 4, she had the feeling that something was getting closer. Apparently, Kami didn't like her because Team Naruto appeared in front of their group in an attempt to divert them. Sakon turned to Tayuya and said, "Get Sasuke-sama and the girl to the border. I'll handle these insects."

The redhead just took the barrel and said, "Let's get moving, flat chest. Orochimaru-sama doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Sakura just huffed as she followed the foul-mouthed kunoichi. Kiba growled and took Akamaru out of his jacket. "You guys go on ahead. I can handle this freak."

Sakon sneered and said, "Try handling me when you have a battalion breathing down your neck."

Out of nowhere, that golden light from earlier appeared in the sky and a group of twenty Applaud archangels flew down behind Sakon. Shino and Tenten jumped to his side. Tenten turned to Naruto and said, "We've got his back, Naruto-taichō. Go and finish the mission."

Sadly, just as the team was about to continue pursuit, the golden lights appeared in the sky again. This time, three Kinship vessels flew down from the clouds. Riding on the flying boats were seven Joys, twelve Affinities, three Applaud angels, and the infamous Grace and Glory duo. Naruto let off a loud curse. "Oh, I do _not_ have time for this crap. Bayonetta, you and Jeanne take care of these annoyances. Shika and I need to keep going."

Bayonetta nodded and said, "I don't see a problem with that. Besides, I haven't been to any good parties in a while and I've been getting bored off my ass."

Jeanne shook her head at her friend's antics. "Even after five hundred years, you're exactly as I remember you Cereza. Now, let's remind these dirty sods How and why the Umbra originally won the war."

Sakura and Tayuya…

The two females were making haste through the trees when both of them stopped moving for no reason whatsoever. As the girls struggled to move, a lazy voice said, "Don't bother trying to move. I've caught you in my **Kagemane no jutsu**. You're not going anywhere."

The two girls were forced to look up and see Shikamaru glaring at them. "Sakura, you should be the more worried person right now. My orders are to bring you in dead or alive and honestly, I'm sorely tempted to choose dead for all the crap you've been pulling."

However, the Nara wouldn't get that chance today. Out of nowhere, Kimimaro's blood clone appeared and grabbed both Sakura and the barrel containing Sasuke. He then turned to Tayuya and said, "Handle this trash. I will complete the mission."

Without saying anything else, Kimimaro took off into the trees. Shikamaru smirked and said, "Naruto-taichō, it's up to you to finish the mission. I'll deal with this troublesome woman."

Naruto nodded and vanished into the canopy. He had a pair of traitors to deal with and was not planning on letting them escape justice.

Kimimaro clone…

When the clone reached an open field, he could hear a hissing noise coming from the coffin. He quickly set it down and moved Sakura out of the way. About a moment later, the barrel exploded and revealed Sasuke with a mad grin.

Without a moment's hesitation, Sasuke took off to the border of Hi no Kuni. As Naruto jumped out of the tree line, Sakura gave the blonde a nervous look before rushing off to catch up with Sasuke.

Naruto tried to follow when Kimimaro said, "I will not allow you to move beyond this area. This will be your final resting place, vermin."

Naruto chuckled and said, "You've got to be either the bravest or the dumbest person I've met next to Sasuke-teme and Orochi-pedo."

Kimimaro pulled a bone blade out of his shoulder and said, "You shall pay for disrespecting Orochimaru-sama in such a manner."

Naruto summoned his katana and said, "Dude, if this was the Harry Potter universe, you would either make a good Lucius Malfoy or a pretty decent gender-bent version of Bellatrix Lestrange. You _really_ need to stop pole-jockin' that guy."

Kimimaro snarled as he lunged at the blonde. While he actually held no respect for Orochimaru, his performance had to be believable just in case someone was watching.

As Naruto dodged his blade and said, "Normally, I'd humor you before finishing you off. Sadly, I've got an Uchiha and a harpy to hunt down and catch. You can either move aside or get cut down."

Kimimaro pulled out another bone sword and said, "You do not flee in the presence of a superior opponent. I'll see to it that your remains receive a proper burial."

At that moment, the sky filled with a golden light and three groups of Braves fell from the sky in the company of something Naruto was hoping not to see. The ground trembled as a false Fortitudo landed behind Kimimaro and said, "You are allied with the Umbra soldiers. It will be my honor to sacrifice your soul to the creator, Jubileus."

Naruto just scoffed and said, "You're barking mad if you think that you have the power to kill me. I've been waiting for a chance to use this."

He then bit his thumb and made five familiar handsigns. "**Ninpō: Kuchiyōse no jutsu!**"

Everything on the battlefield went silent as smoke filled the area. From within the smoke, a deafening roar destroyed the silence.

Ino and Chouji…

Ino was having a field day with the angels while Chouji was serving out a beating to Jirobo. The Akimichi went in for a downward slam to the head when Jirobo caught his arm. "I've had about enough of you, tubby. Now I'm gonna squash you like the bug you are."

He then tossed Chouji back as his curse mark began to spread over his body. Ino jumped over to Chouji and said, "That's not good. This guy just got a lot stronger."

Chouji nodded and got back to his feet. "Ino, I've got a feeling that things are gonna get worse. Be ready to call in some help."

The Yamanaka gave a stern nod as she dodged one of the angel's staffs. She then turned back to the group and said, "You guys are pathetic."

Suddenly, one of the Affinity angels blew into its trumpet. The sky lit up again as fifty more Affinity angels and seven Ardor angels descended on five Kinships. Ino cursed and bit her thumb. She then slammed her hands on the ground and said, "**Ninpo: Kuchiyose no jutsu!**"

To be continued…


	24. 22: Hunt for the Traitors! pt 2

A Brother's Return

Ch. 22

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, Witch language, demons: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts, ect…: _**bold italicized**_

(): author speaking

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Hinata would be a lot more confident in herself.

Neji and Hinata vs. Kidomaru…

The six-armed Oto-nin had no time to defend himself as Neji shouted, "**Hakke: Rokujū Yon shō!**" As soon as his first attack landed, he shouted, "**Ni shō…Yon shō…Hachi shō…Jūroku shō…Sanjū Ni shō…Rokujū Yon shō!**"

The first hit that Neji landed had knocked him into the tree while the rest had completely blasted him through it and back to the ground. Seeing that the job was done, Neji turned to leave when Hinata shouted, "Neji, he's getting back up!"

The elder Hyūga reactivated his Byakugan and saw that his cousin's words rang true. Kidomaru had protected himself by coating his skin in the same golden substance he used against Neji.

Realizing that the fight was still on, Neji and Hinata jumped to ground level where Kidomaru was removing his makeshift armor. "You almost had me with that, runt. Luckily for me, I can secrete my golden web fluid from every pore on my body and use it to protect myself from outstanding damage. Now, let's see how well you two fare against this attack."

He then spat out a large web and made a string of familiar hand signs. **Ninpo: Kuchiyōse no jutsu!**"

In a large blast of smoke, a massive spider appeared on the web. Kidomaru activated the first stage of his **Juin** and said, "This is a queen spider who's about to give birth. The two of you will become food for her children."

Hinata gasped as the spider started producing an egg sack almost as large as it was. "Neji nii-san, this is going to be a long day."

Neji smirked and let out a small laugh. "It looks as though we'll be a little late catching up with everyone."

The two both prepared themselves as the Oto-nin made a kunai from his golden silk and ripped open the egg sack.

Ino and Chōji vs. Jirobo…

As the smoke began to clear, a male voice said, "You called me out here for this!? I was hoping there'd be more than just these losers. Oh well, this should still be a good workout."

Once the smoke finally cleared, Jirobo got a good look at who had spoken. It was a teenager with silver hair and a strange red arm that pulsed with blue energy.

The teen pulled a strange sword from his back and said, "You've been giving my friend some trouble. I don't really like that, jackass."

Jirobo growled as he activated the second stage of his Curse Mark. "Don't think that one extra scumbag can save you, bitch. I won't let you stand in Orochimaru-sama's way."

Suddenly, the air grew cold in the area. Ino turned her attention to Chōji, who was currently emitting enough KI to send medium-sized animals into a catatonic shock. "Ino-chan, you and Nero-san take care of these rats. I'll handle this guy," Chōji said in a deathly calm voice.

Ino cautiously placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Be careful, Chōji-kun. This guy is a monster."

In response, the young Akimichi pulled a small case of pills from his pocket and opened the slot containing the red pill. He then turned his attention to Jirobo and said, "You've just made a costly mistake, you arrogant bastard. My original plan was to just defeat you, but now I'm not even going to waste my time with giving you a merciful death."

Jirobo just laughed at Chōji's bravado. "And what mistake would that be, tubby? Did I insult your little girlfriend," he taunted.

The Akimichi balled a fist as he growled out, "As a matter of fact, you did! And I won't stand for it."

Chōji then held up the red pill over his head, forcing Ino to remember a conversation she had once held with Shikamaru upon sighting it.

Flashback…

_Ino had just finished her daily training with Dante when she came across a crestfallen Shikamaru. "What's wrong with you, Shikamaru? You look like someone just died."_

_Shika just sighed as he sat on the ground. "It's Chōji. He used one of his family's secret chakra pills and now he's stuck in the hospital for the next week. I told him that he should've waited to take that thing." _

_Ino just sat next to her teammate in worry. "What happened to him? Will he be alright?"_

_Shikamaru just smirked and said, "Would you look at that? Ino Yamanaka actually has a heart."_

_Ino just scoffed in amusement as she nudged the Nara heir's shoulder. Shika quickly sobered up and said, "Ino, the Akimichi Clan has three special chakra pills that have dangerous side effects. Do you know what they are?" _

_As Ino shook her head, Shikamaru held up three fingers. He then said, "The green pill causes major chakra exhaustion when used up. The yellow pill damages both the body and chakra system. And the red pill…" _

_Ino slapped a hand over her mouth as she let out a gasp. After only a second, she forced herself to say, "The red pill…__**kills**__ the user. Doesn't it, Shika?" _

_The fact that her friend didn't answer her was an answer in itself. She could only look down and said, "Oh, Chōji…not you."_

Flashback end…

Ino could only stare on in fear as her friend boldly said, "You can strike me, insult me, try to kill me, and even steal my food. However, threatening my friends, family, or the girl I love is nothing short of a death warrant. With this pill, I'm going to break you!"

As Chōji prepared to swallow the red pill, Ino desperately shouted, "Chōji, you can't use that! Please, Chōji put it away! Don't do this!"

Chōji just turned to his friend and smiled. "Ino-chan, the ninja of the Akimichi Clan are like butterflies. We start out as simple caterpillars that are stuck on the ground. But when something comes that dares to destroy what we care for, we spread our wings and fly our enemies into the sun."

Ino's eyes began to water as her friend continued, "Once our job is done, our wings burn off and we fall back to earth knowing that we have succeeded. Today, I will spread my wings and be that butterfly."

With nothing more to say, Chōji turned his back to Ino and swallowed the red pill. Almost instantly, Chōji's body slimmed up and a pair of blue butterfly wings made of chakra appeared on his back. He gave Jirobo a cold look and said, "With this, I'll send your pathetic existence straight to Hell."

Jirobo laughed as he prepared a chakra powered punch. "Don't be so arrogant, punk. I am one of Orochimaru-sama's elite fighters while you're just some snot-nosed kid. Your cocky attitude is going to be the death of you."

As Jirobo thrust his fist forward, Ino could only scream, "Chōji-kun! No!"

Kiba vs. Sakon…

Sakon growled in fury as Kiba and Akamaru ran circles around him. The Inuzuka has actually managed to force him to wake up Ukon as well as activate their Juin.

Kiba smirked as he kicked Ukon in the chest. "You guys really suck at this. I thought that Orochimaru would've sent his best to get Sasuke-teme instead of a pair of drag queens."

Akamaru gave Kiba a reprimanding growl followed by a rather colorful bark. Kiba chuckled and said, "You're absolutely right, Akamaru. That _is_ an insult to transgender people around the world. Naruto-taichō wouldn't be too happy about that little comment."

Sakon couldn't believe that he was being insulted by a mere genin. "How dare you mock us? We are among the strongest fighters in Orochimaru-sama's army."

A few feet away from them, Tenten beheaded another Applaud before saying, "That must mean that Orochimaru's pretty damn weak if you're his strongest soldiers. Seriously, I've seen some genin who're stronger than you."

Shino impaled an Affinity with a kunai and jumped over to Tenten. "I had always assumed that Orochimaru was getting desperate if he wanted Sasuke of all people to join him."

Kiba gasped as he looked his teammate in the eye. "Shino, did you just make a joke? Oh man, wait until I tell Hinata about this one."

Sakon, however, was getting annoyed with being ignored in such a rude manner. "You little monkeys have a lot of nerve to speak about Orochimaru-sama that way. I'm going to enjoy spilling your blood."

He then fueled his **Juin** to enter Stage 2 before splitting with Ukon. The two of them now looked like red oni demons with a single horn on their heads.

Kiba flexed a clawed hand and said, "Shino, you and Tenten finish off the rats. This Mortal Kombat oni reject is mine."

Shino placed a hand on Kiba's shoulder and nodded. "Save some of the fight for us. I'd personally like a shot at him."

Kiba chuckled and said, "You can have him if he's still breathing by the time I'm done."

Ukon growled and took a step forward. "Don't be so full of yourself, you little prick. Did you really think that we wouldn't be prepared to deal with you?"

The sky suddenly poured down a golden light on the area, causing the Konoha trio to freeze up. Everyone watched as a Kinship flew down with six Joys riding on it.

A few feet away from them, Bayonetta let out a colorful swear. "Call in some reinforcements! You don't want to face them alone!"

Tenten nodded before biting her thumb and wiping the blood across her hand. She then made five handsigns and shouted, "**Ninpo: Kuchiyōse no jutsu!**"

There was a burst of smoke followed by a female voice saying, "This isn't the village. Was I summoned here?"

Tenten instantly recognized the voice and said, "Ayane, we could use a hand. These assholes just don't like to play fair."

A girl with purple hair wearing dark purple battle gear and a red cloak stepped through the smoke and looked around. "Yeah, I can see why you called me to help. Keep those flying rats busy so I can take out that overgrown Mardi Gras parade float."

Shikamaru vs. Tayuya…

The Nara heir smirked as he dodged another kunai. From only a few minutes into the battle, he could tell that Tayuya was the support fighter of her team. "This is such a waste of time. Why don't you just give up quietly so we can call it a day?"

Tayuya growled as she continued to hurl knives at Shikamaru. "Don't underestimate me, smart ass. I'm one of Orochimaru-sama's strongest fighters."

Shika scoffed and caught an incoming kunai. "Listen, my orders are to take you in alive at all costs. I'm not trying to kill you, so just give up before I have to get serious."

Tayuya instantly growled at what she thought was Shikamaru calling her weak. She then activated the first stage of her **Juin** and pulled out her flute. "That's it, asshole. You're gonna regret ever crossing me."

Shikamaru just sighed and pulled out a trench knife. "This is so troublesome. Why did I have to get the opponent who has to be left alive?"

He was then forced to jump to a different branch as a strange creature tried to take a swipe at his head. "So, you've summoned a few monsters to do your dirty work. What's next? Are you gonna play me a lullaby?"

Tayuya ignored him as she continued to play different harmonies on her flute. Her summoned creatures all responded to her commands and began a relentless onslaught against Shikamaru.

After a few minutes of dodging and blocking attacks, Shika pulled a flash grenade from his kunai pouch. "I think it'll be easier to just knock you out now and take you with me. This troublesome fight is getting us absolutely nowhere and I don't feel like wasting my time."

He then threw the flash grenade and set it off with a loud bang. Tayuya, being forced to cover her eyes, never noticed Shikamaru move until the blinding light faded.

When she regained her senses, she realized that her movements were completely restricted. "**Kagemane no jutsu: success.** Like I said, it'll be easier if I just knock you out and drag you with me," Shikamaru said from behind her. "I'm not in the mood to toy around and I have a mission to complete."

Tayuya snarled as she activated Stage 2 of the Curse Mark. "You won't be winning that easily, asshole," Tayuya said. "I told you that I was a part of Orochimaru-sama's elite forces for a reason."

The Nara heir watched as her hat tore off to reveal five curved horns. The kunoichi then used a concentrated blast of corrupted chakra to break Shika's shadows. "Is that the best you can do, asshole? I'm not very impressed."

Shikamaru pulled out a small watch before smiling. "I honestly don't care at this point," he said. "My initial role in fighting you was only to be a distraction. This is normally where I'd say 'checkmate'."

Tayuya didn't have time to react as a sharp pain to her neck sent her spiraling into unconsciousness. As the girl fell forward, she was caught by a Kagegakure Anbu with long brown hair.

The Anbu turned to Shikamaru and said, "Thanks for the distraction. She can be quite the handful when she wants to be."

Shikamaru just nodded as the Anbu vanished with Tayuya's body. He then turned his focus back to the original mission and sped off to assist Naruto.

Hinata and Neji vs. Kidomaru…

Neji surveyed the spiders before saying, "Hinata-sama, I'll deal with these pests while you try to find an opening for us to exploit. **Hakkeshō: Kaiten!**"

Hinata crouched down as her cousin began to rotate. About halfway through the attack, the web strings that the spiders were attached to began to slow Neji down. It only took a few more moments before the **Kaiten** was cancelled out.

Hinata turned to Neji and said, "Our defenses are useless against the web strings. We'll have to go on the offensive."

Neji nodded as more spiders began pouring down at them. "I've got an idea that should work. **Hakke: Rokujū Yon Shō!**"

He then started to quickly tear through the falling spiders until their numbers started declining. However, Kidomaru smirked as he fingered a web string. "Don't think that it's over. The queen can lay another batch of spiders."

True to his word, the large spider began producing even more babies than it had during the first attack. Hinata looked up in worry and said, "Neji-nii, even if we try to take them together, there will still be too many. We need a new plan of action."

Neji took his fighting stance again as he thought, "_Naruto-san, what would you do about this? My attack is limited and there are too many spiders to fend off._"

The elder Hyūga started to worry until he heard Naruto's voice say, "_You'll never know what you can do until you push your limits to the edge._"

He also heard Hinata's gentle yet determined voice call out to him. "_Our lives are not controlled by fate. We have the power to make our own destiny._"

Neji smiled as he rotated his arms and slightly modified his stance. Beneath his feet, the trigram seal that stopped at sixty-four gained an additional ring that stopped at one hundred twenty-eight.

As Neji prepared to attack, he could only think, "_Naruto-san, thank you and Hinata-sama for showing me the light. It seems as though fate truly is __**not**__ set in stone._"

Hinata moved out of the way as Neji shouted, "**Hakke: Hyaku Nijū Hachi Shō! Ni shō…Yon shō…Hachi shō…Jūroku shō…Sanjū Ni shō…Rokujū Yon shō...Hyaku Nijū Hachi Shō!**"

Kidomaru watched in horror as Neji tore through the spiders like wet paper. He then wrapped the web string tighter around his finger and said, "You're nothing but an arrogant little punk. Just because you took them out doesn't mean that you'll survive today."

Neji readied himself for another attack and said, "Actually, it is you who are the foolish one. Your mistake was taking on two opponents who have 360 degree vision. The Byakugan can see all."

The Oto-nin just smirked as he gently tugged at the string. "I've faced an opponent like you before, so I can tell how you prefer to fight."

Hinata gasped in mock surprise. "Does that mean that you've had your ass kicked before? I must admit that I'm surprised."

Neji scoffed in amusement. "Hinata-sama, you shouldn't insult him because he's a terrible fighter. As Naruto-san would say, you should insult him for trying to be a Spider-Man stunt double."

Kidomaru snarled in rage as he allowed the spider strings to slowly slip from his fingers. "I've honestly had enough of you little pests. It's time to say goodnight!"

As the final string was unwound from Kidomaru's finger, the giant spider dropped from the web and landed on the Hyūga duo. The spider let out what sounded to be a triumphant roar in Kidomaru's ears, until he heard Hinata shouting, "**Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fist!**"

The Oto-nin gasped as a chakra covered arm ripped through the spider's abdomen. Neji then complemented Hinata's attack by hitting it in the cephalothorax with a chakra coated palm.

Much to Kidomaru's rage, the large spider exploded from the chakra overload. He then jumped into a dense section of foliage as his **Juin** evolved to its final stage.

Ino and Chōji vs. Jirobo…

Just before connecting with the side of Chōji's face, Jirobo's fist was halted by Chōji's now slender hand. Without even looking up, Chōji lifted Jirobo into the air and slammed him into the ground.

Ino looked on in shock as her teammate finally returned his gaze to Jirobo. He then lifted a chakra-empowered fist and said, "It's like I said, you and I will fly together into the sun and burn. However, your death will not be mourned."

With no other words being needed, Chōji slammed his fist into Jirobo's chest. The force of the blow not only destroyed Jirobo's heart, it also buried him within a deep crater. As the light finally faded from the Oto-nin's eyes, his last sight was of Chōji flying over to Ino.

When Ino saw Chōji land in front of her, she quickly ran over to congratulate him. Sadly, Chōji hit the ground before she could even reach him.

Ino quickly started running diagnostic scans on him while shouting, "You have to stay with me, Chōji-kun! You can't leave me!"

As her scans showed his heart rate slowing, Ino began crying into her hands. "Chōji-kun, please don't leave me. You don't even know…how much you really mean to me."

Meanwhile…

Naruto smirked as he entered a clearing that held two large statues; the first being Hashirama Senju and the second being Madara Uchiha. While standing on his ancestor's head, Naruto saw the two traitors standing on the head of Madara.

"This is a fitting moment," Naruto said. "A man who dreams of becoming the Hokage is standing on the head of the Hokage…"

"…while two traitors of the village are standing atop the head of another traitor," finished a new voice.

Naruto quickly turned around to see a less than happy Hinata. "Hinata-chan, what are you doing here?"

Hinata grabbed his hand and said, "Some reinforcements came and finished our opponents, but more of the Lumen started showing up. The rest of the group sent me ahead to aid you while they finish up. Also, Neji nii-san has a damaged shoulder while Chōji-san is in critical condition."

Naruto nodded as he turned his attention back to Sasuke and Sakura. "I'm only going to say this one time," he said. "This is your only warning, Sasuke. Turn back to Konoha and stop this foolishness."

Sasuke smirked as he tied his hitai-ate around his head for what he knew would be the final time. "And if I refuse…"

Naruto gave his own smirk as he pulled out a mission scroll. His next words would forever shock Sasuke and Sakura. "By the order of the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade Senju, on the recommendation of Naruto Namikaze; should Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno refuse to return to Konoha, they are to be executed upon confrontation."

Sasuke quickly shouted, "What exactly are you playing at, dobe!?"

Naruto slowly unsheathed his katana before saying, "Tsunade baa-chan happily approved my request to put you traitors down. On my command and until I say otherwise, the two of you are hereby sentenced to death."

To be continued…


	25. 23: Showdown in the Final Valley

A Brother's Return

Ch. 23

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, Witch language, demons: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts, ect…: _**bold italicized**_

(): author speaking

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Lee would be able to use Ninjutsu.

Sakura and Sasuke were indeed surprised. Never in their wildest dreams did they think Naruto would ever request for their deaths. Sakura took a shaky step forward and said, "How could you do something so heartless? I thought we were your friends!"

Naruto scoffed as he spat on the ground. "I thought I made it clear that I was _**never**_ friends with either of you. To be quite honest, the two of you are a disgrace to Konoha and should never have been allowed to become shinobi."

He then turned his attention over to Sasuke and began drawing on Kurama's chakra. "Take off that hitai-ate, Uchiha. A power-hungry, traitorous bastard like you has _**no right**_ to wear the symbol of Konoha!"

Sasuke arrogantly smirked as he said, "Don't speak to me as if you're better than me. Everyone knows that it was the Uchiha who helped create Konoha."

Naruto tapped his hitai-ate before pulling out a kunai. "That may be true, but what you don't know is that the symbol of Konoha was a gift from Uzushio. I refuse to let you traitorous bastards disgrace my legacy by wearing those headbands."

Sasuke scoffed as he pulled out a pair of shuriken. "You should consider this as a privilege, dobe. I'm only wearing this because I've decided to acknowledge you as a worthy opponent. In truth, you are actually the closest thing to a friend and rival that I've ever had."

Naruto activated his Rinnegan as he began to walk on the air in Sasuke's direction. "You are neither my friend or worthy of being called my equal, Uchiha. In my eyes, you are nothing but a rabid animal that needs to be put down. Even if you do manage to kill me, and I promise you that you will _**never**_ get the chance, you won't gain the Mangekyou Sharingan."

Sasuke gasped as his eyes widened in shock. He never would've guessed that Naruto knew the secret behind the Mangekyou Sharingan. "Dobe, how exactly do you know about the secrets of the Sharingan? Someone outside of the Uchiha Clan shouldn't have that kind of knowledge."

"Oh, spare me your elitist bullshit," Naruto countered. "We of the Uzumaki Clan are the record keepers of time. That being said, I'm about to erase you two from the annals of history. Hinata-chan…"

Hinata gave an unnerving smirk as her boyfriend called her name. "Do I finally get to kill the harpy, Naruto-kun? You promised that I would get to put her out of my misery."

Naruto blew Hinata a kiss before saying, "I never go back on my promises, Hinata-chan. Just be sure to leave her head in one piece so I can take it back to her bitch of a mother."

As Hinata advanced on her target, Naruto continued his walk over to Sasuke. "In order to gain the Mangekyou Sharingan, a friendship has to have been mutual. All I feel for you is contempt, loathing, and a deep-seated hatred. It's time to face the cold reality of life, Sasuke-teme. You _**don't**_ have any friends and you will die here without _**anyone**_ missing you."

Kirigakure~

Mei Terumi kept a blank face as she stared at the man before her. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't melt you for selling us out to Yagura," she said with no amusement.

Zabuza groaned as he said, "Mei-chan, I'm not the one who spoke to Yagura. It was that idiot Kisame who sold us out."

Mei scoffed as she twirled a strand of her hair. "Give me one good reason as to why I should believe anything you say, Zabuza Momochi."

Suddenly, a familiar voice said, "You should believe him because it really was me who went to Yagura."

The rebel army turned around to see Kisame standing directly behind them. "Mei-senpai, Zabuza is innocent in all of this. The blame lies with me and me alone in the disaster that happened. Still, there's a piece of the puzzle that you're missing."

Choujiro, Mei's personal guard, sneered as he gripped Hiramekarei's handle. "You sold us out to that tyrant, framed Zabuza-senpai, and nearly crippled the rebellion! I personally don't want to hear another damned word come out of your mouth!"

Ao, Mei's second guard, whistled in both awe and shock at Choujiro's bold demeanor. "Well, color me impressed. I didn't think he could be that outgoing."

Mei nodded and replied, "Still, something tells me that Kisame knows something that I should hear. Choujiro-kun, stand down and let him speak."

Instead of simply doing as he was asked, Choujiro pulled the large blade from his back. "Not this time, Mei-sama. Kisame's betrayal dealt us a heavy blow. I think that removing his head and mounting it on a pike is a more than fair punishment!"

However, everyone was forced to their knees as a heavy dosage of KI flooded over them. Zabuza grunted out a laugh as he said, "It looks like Yamikage-sama wanted to personally make sure I got the message out about Yagura. Mei-chan, when this pressure lifts, stay exactly where you are. My new boss only does that when he's seriously pissed off."

A young but hard voice quickly said, "I'm glad you remembered that, Zabuza-san. Now, someone tell me why I'm not going to kick everyone else's asses today before I change my mind."

When the pressure lifted, everyone turned to see a white-haired Cairo in his Kage robes and hat. Ao laughed and said, "Listen kid, go back to the playground and let your elders handle things here."

Zabuza turned to Mei and said, "Shut him up before my boss decides to kill him. Yamikage-sama is not one to be taken lightly and doesn't tolerate when people insult his age."

Mei Terumi almost doubled over in shock when Zabuza announced Cairo as the Yamikage. She wasted no time in saying, "Ao, shut up before I kill you. You're in the presence of a Kage and should act with some professionalism."

She then turned her attention to Cairo and said, "I apologize for what just transpired, Yamikage-sama. I am the rebel leader, Mei Terumi. The moron I'm about to kill is one of my personal guards, Ao."

Cairo held up a hand to stop her. "I already know about everyone here, Mei-taichō. After all, my spy network runs deeper than Jiraiya's own. Plus, your boyfriend _**is**_ one of my Anbu."

Before Zabuza could reply, Haku elbowed him to remind him that Cairo wasn't finished talking. The Yamikage turned to Choujiro and said, "I can't let you kill Kisame. While it is true that he sold you out, he only did it because he was lied to by a man named Madara Uchiha."

Kagegakure~

Dylan Wesker was looking over the charts of his two sedated patients. His first patient, Kimimaro Kaguya, was suffering from a disease that was slowly killing him. His second patient, Rock Lee, was born with an illness that deteriorated his chakra coils to the point of not being able to use it outside of his body.

The teenager sighed as he made seven clones and began moving them into position. "Why does Cairo-sama always drop these simple cases on me? I ask for a challenge and he gives me something that I could literally do in my sleep. Oh well, I'm just glad that I'm getting paid for this."

Otogakure~

Kabuto paced his room as he waited for the results of the blood tests. While he had already known and confirmed that Karin was an Uzumaki, he still had to wait on Tayuya's test results to come in. "It's these kinds of days that make me wish I weren't in the medical field. Cairo-sama asked me if I wanted to be a combat shinobi and I said no," grumbled Kabuto. "I must've been diseased with a severe case of stupid."

He then smirked as he remembered the other order that was given to him. Cairo had ordered him to stall for enough time to force Orochimaru to take on a different host. The Yamikage had also been smart enough to have Guren out of the way so that Orochimaru didn't try to use her as his next body.

Speaking of Guren, Kabuto needed to make sure that she knew that her time in Oto was rapidly ending. Cairo had made it clear that the two of them would be escaping Oto under the guise of a kidnapping. The only real problem would be in the act of the actual rescue.

While it was true that Cairo was powerful, not even he could just waltz…right…in…

"_Stop the presses_," Kabuto slyly thought. "_That actually might be the best course of action. Now, let's go check in on Dylan and his patients._"

Kiri~

Cairo casually strolled forward and stopped in front of Choujiro. "So, you're the new wielder of Hiramekarei. I must politely ask that you step away from Kisame. He has a specific task to perform for me and won't be able to do that if he's dead."

Choujiro gave Cairo a dark look as he gripped the blade's handle even tighter. "I don't know or give a damn about who you are or think you are. If you're going to try and protect that traitor, you can die with him."

Cairo smirked as he snapped his fingers. In only a mere second, Choujiro was surrounded by three members of Cairo's personal guard. Jade pushed the tip of her Sai into Choujiro's throat and said, "Be lucky that it's us holding you in place. If it were anyone else on our team, your blood would be painting the ground right now."

Cairo slowly turned to Mei and gestured a hand to her guard. "Give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't have him torn to ribbons. After all, threatening a Kage is a highly offensive act and I have very little patience at the moment."

Zabuza tensed as his boss looked Mei in the eye. He had known Cairo long enough to know that if someone didn't provide a decent answer; Choujiro wouldn't be left in enough pieces to even cremate.

With a heavy sigh, Zabuza quickly said, "Cairo-sama, killing him won't solve the current situation with the rebellion. We'll still have to deal with Yagura and we need every ninja we can spare."

Cairo took one look at Choujiro and said, "Zabuza wants me to show you mercy. Therefore, I will say it again. Lower your weapon or I will personally erase you from the records of time."

Almost instantly, Zabuza's eyes widened in shock. The last time Cairo had ever said that to anyone was when a group of thugs tried to kidnap Starfire. He quickly turned to Choujiro and shouted, "Drop the damned sword, you idiot! He's a master of **Jikukan Ninjutsu **and he really can keep good on his promise!"

Final Valley~

Sasuke took the initiative by lobbing a hail of kunai at Naruto. Sadly for him, the kunai all bounced off of some transparent bubble-like barrier. The Uzumaki smirked and said, "You'll have to do a lot better than that to beat me, Sasuke-teme. After all, you're currently fighting to keep your life intact."

Naruto then made a string of handsigns and shouted, "**Ninpo: Kuchiyōse no jutsu!**"

From inside the smoke, Naruto had summoned a large wolf that howled once before transforming into an o-katana. Naruto twirled the blade in his hand and pointed it at Sasuke. "Now you will be torn apart by the _**Wolf's Fang**_."

Sasuke just readied a kunai as Naruto rushed him. He barely had time to put up a guard as the blonde brought his blade down. The force of Naruto's blow had Sasuke reeling back in pain as the kunai was cut clean through.

As the Uchiha scrambled to regain his bearing, he noticed that Naruto's movements were beginning to slow down. Naruto looked at him in disgust and said, "You dare to flash those eyes at me in superiority, Uchiha? Your Sharingan might've fully evolved, but I will still kill you before the day is over. **Fūton: Renkūdan**."

Sasuke was able to avoid the brunt of the attack, but the backlash threw him off of his feet. "_Damn it_," he thought, "_he's still stronger than I am. I guess I'll just have to show him who the superior fighter is._"

With his mind full of rage, Sasuke allowed his Juin to enter the first stage. Naruto growled as Sasuke gave into the seal's influence. "If you want to use dark chakra, I'll show you dark chakra," was Naruto's comment.

As Sasuke moved in to try for a close range attack, Naruto dispelled his summon and grabbed Sasuke's wrist. He then pulled the Uchiha forward and kneed him in the nose. It was then that Sasuke realized that Naruto's eyes were red with slit pupils. "What in the hell are you?"

Naruto punched the Uchiha in his stomach and backhanded him across the water. "I…am your executioner."

Kiri~

Choujiro turned to Zabuza and shouted, "I don't care what he knows. He's made his choice to die with the traitor."

Cairo huffed in annoyance before lashing out with a speed that even Mei had trouble following. Before anyone could blink, the Yamikage had taken Hiramekarei and slapped Choujiro away with the flat side of the massive blade.

He then stabbed it into the ground next to Choujiro's head and crouched down to his eye level. "The next time you decide to be that stupid, _**I'll lock your soul away into a dark void and use your soulless husk of a body as a training dummy!**_"

Cairo then stood up and flashed next to Mei. She couldn't even react as Cairo roundhouse kicked Ao to the ground and stomped on his chest. "I might only be thirteen, but I can and will put you in a shallow grave if you ever bring up my age in a derogatory fashion again."

He then turned to Mei and gave her a warm smile. "I'm sorry you were made to see that little stunt. People assume that they can simply walk all over me because of my age."

Cheshire nodded behind her leader and said, "He's not a Kage for nothing. Cairo-sama does not deal with fools and he has very little patience for them."

Mei simply waved the two of them off and led them to the table where they were planning a strike. "We don't have much to work with and his fortress is heavily guarded. At the most, we can only reach the Mizukage's office before his guards start pushing us back."

Cairo looked over the battle map before saying, "I have a plan that should help. Mei-taichō, I need you to call for a temporary retreat so that my soldiers can sneak into position."

Mei gave him a confused stare. "Are you sure that will work, Cairo-sama? After all, Yagura will have his shinobi watching everything that happens."

Cairo smirked as he bit his thumb. "That may be true, but answer a question for me. What are the first things that people see in the skies so often that they pay them no heed?"

Mei thought about his question before answering, "I believe you are speaking of bats, Cairo-sama."

Cairo smirked as he ran his bloody thumb over his palm. "Mei-taichō, I always knew that Zabuza loved you for more than just your beauty. Now, this is what I have in mind."

Final Valley~

Hinata yawned as she stared at Sakura's fallen form. "You're even weaker than I ever recalled you being. Sakura, it's time for you to face the reality that's been trying to wake you up for so long. Following behind Sasuke-san like a lost puppy will only get you killed in the long run."

Sakura sneered as she pulled out another kunai. "Don't try talking down to me like you're my better. I already know that you're only dating Naruto-baka to make Sasuke-kun fall for you."

Hinata rolled her eyes before turning to the viewer audience. "Please tell me that I'm not the only one who sees that this girl has lost all reason."

(Hey, quit breakin' the fourth wall!)

Hinata gave a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry about that. This girl is just…"

She was cut off by the kunai that whizzed by her left ear. Sakura had apparently gotten to her feet and tried to take Hinata by surprise. Sadly, she forgot about the concept of the Byakugan and didn't even have a back-up plan.

The Hyūga simply dusted off her haori before saying, "Well, that was a complete fail. I hope you have another plan because you just pissed me off."

Meanwhile…

Sasuke's fully evolved Sharingan combined with his Juin was proving to be enough to keep him on a somewhat even footing with Naruto. Even still, the blonde was determined to snub him out and gave the boy no time to get an advantage.

Soon enough, Sasuke had enough sense to roll under one of Naruto's punches and put some distance between them. He then charged up a **chidori** and thought, "_The idiot will most likely have a way around this attack. However…_"

He took one look at Hinata's fight and smirked. If he couldn't get rid of Naruto, he'd do the next best thing and break him down. With that thought in mind, Sasuke rushed directly past Naruto and aimed down his sights on Hinata.

Naruto watched in horror as Sasuke rapidly closed in on his target. He swore that whatever mercy he might've considered giving the Uchiha had just been thrown aside. For now, he had a girlfriend to rescue.

The blonde pumped as much chakra into his feet as he could and skated across the water's surface in hopes to get to Hinata before Sasuke did. Sadly, as he reached his destination, he knew that he wouldn't make it in time to pull Hinata out of the way.

As Sasuke got in range of Hinata, the girl realized that she didn't have time to put up a defense. She had braced herself for impact when she saw something that almost destroyed her.

In his determination to keep Hinata out of harm's way, Naruto had tossed a kunai in front of her and substituted himself with it at the last second. This course of action led to him having a **chidori** plunged through his right shoulder.

Naruto grabbed the offending arm and forced it out of his shoulder before thinking, "_Kurama, the kid gloves are off. I'm going to make this bastard suffer before I kill him._"

Kurama let out a vicious roar as he flooded Naruto's chakra network with his yōkai. "**Your body won't be able to handle an extreme amount of my chakra for too long. However, one tail should be more enough to tear this traitor apart.**"

Naruto growled as he felt himself slipping into a chakra-induced rage. "_Give me more of it, Kurama. I need more chakra._"

Sasuke quickly moved away from the blonde as the hole in Naruto's shoulder rapidly closed. He was then forced to shield his eyes as Naruto was enveloped in reddish-orange chakra.

Hinata slowly came up to Naruto and pushed her way through the chakra field. Although she felt like she was burning, the chakra did not do any damage to her hand. She gently placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and said, "Naruto-kun…"

As Naruto's eyes focused on his girlfriend, the kunoichi quickly hardened her gaze before saying, "Make sure you gouge the bastard's eyes out before you kill him."

The moment Hinata moved away, Sasuke pulled out a kunai and shouted, "You little bitch! I'll show you not to insult an Uchiha!"

Sadly, Sasuke found a chakra-covered fist launching him backwards at an alarming rate. Once his body managed to accommodate itself, Sasuke looked up to see that the chakra cloak had taken the form of a one-tailed fox.

Naruto suddenly crouched down as if to walk like a fox before vanishing. It only took him a second to cross the water and knock Sasuke into the air. He then jumped over the Uchiha before hitting him three times in the face and sending him crashing back to earth.

Sasuke shot a massive ball of fire at Naruto's falling form, but the blonde took a page from Shukaku's book and destroyed it with a blast of air. He then extended his chakra to swipe at Sasuke with a large claw.

The Uchiha jumped over the claw and skated across the water before being grabbed by a second chakra hand. Naruto reeled the claw in before using his other hand to send Sasuke flying onto the shore.

Sasuke struggled to his feet and said, "I can't lose to you, dobe. I will not be beaten by some low-class street urchin!"

From the sidelines, Hinata had kicked Sakura away from her and used her Suishōgan to see that Sasuke's Juin had gone into its final stage. She then watched as Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the face and slammed him into the statue of Madara Uchiha.

Naruto was about to deliver the final blow when something knocked him across the waterfall and into the leg of Hashirama's statue. When the dust settled, Naruto could see that Sasuke's skin had turn a dark grey, his lips had become black, his black hair had grown longer and turned blue, and there were two hand-like wings protruding from his back.

Sasuke stood up from his crouching position and laughed. "I told you that compared to me, you are less that insignificant. This power of mine outclasses yours by leaps and bounds, Naruto."

Kurama roared in anger at being indirectly insulted. "**Naruto, teach that little shit whose power is the strongest! Make him forever fear the name Naruto Uzumaki as you drive his soul into the burning pits of Hell!**"

Naruto let out an unearthly roar as his fangs seemed to sharpen even more. He then held out a hand and allowed his yōkai to rotate and compress into a perfectly formed **rasengan**.

Sasuke gripped his wrist as a **chidori** sprang to life in his hand. He then moved his hand into a striking position as the blue chakra turned blackish-grey.

As Sasuke jumped into the air and used his new wings to carry him through the sky, Naruto used his gravity manipulation to propel himself at the traitor with his **rasengan** at the ready.

Hinata watched from her spot on the water as the two attacks collided. The only sound made before the explosion was Sasuke shouting Naruto's name and Naruto shouting, "Go to hell!"

She then watched as the exploding chakra wrapped itself into a black sphere. With her Suishōgan, she could see that Sasuke tried to stab Naruto. Sadly for him, Naruto knocked his hand out of the way before snatching off his hitai-ate and shouting, "I thought I told you to _**die**_!"

As the large orb exploded, Hinata saw Sasuke fall to earth and Naruto float down while charging his hand with lightning chakra. The blonde readied a fully-powered **Chishio chidori** before looking at Sasuke's near unconscious form and saying, "This is where I remove you from the records of time. As your wretched soul is cast into the burning pits of Hell, know that your death will forever be celebrated in Konoha."

However the moment Naruto ran to deliver the final blow, a Kinship appeared from the sky and grabbed Sasuke and Sakura with its chains. Naruto flew up to the ship to see none other than a bandaged Orochimaru standing there with a grin on his face. "I apologize for this intrusion, Naruto-kun. However, I can't in good faith allow you to simply kill Sasuke-kun."

Naruto refueled his **chidori** before saying, "Orochi-teme, I don't care about you any more than I do those two. This just gives me the chance to kill three annoyances for the price of one."

Orochimaru simply smirked as the sky was filled with light again. From the newly parted clouds, a large armor covered reptilian monstrosity with wings descended to the water's surface and said, "**Orochimaru, take them away from here. I will deal with this pest.**"

The former Sannin bowed before saying, "I issue you a challenge, Naruto-kun. If you can survive this little ordeal with Sapentia, I will give you any one request that does not involve my death or the death of these two. Until then, do try not to die."

As the kinship flew into the clouds, Sapentia gave a condescending laugh. "**So a pair of children dare to believe that they can do battle with the likes of me. It will be my honor to sacrifice you both to Jubileus.**"

Naruto, who was beginning to feel the loss of chakra, quickly flew over to Hinata and said, "I can't go on anymore and expect to live through this, but I can at least use my last bit of energy to buy you enough time to get away from…"

Hinata quickly turned Naruto to face her before slapping him as hard as she could. "Don't you dare think for a second that I'm going to let you fight this thing alone! I chose to fight by your side and I refuse to leave you. If you die here, I will die here right alongside you."

Naruto smiled as he placed a kiss on Hinata's cheek. "Well, let's make sure that we go out with a bang. From what Cairo-nii told me about this particular beast, it's one of the Cardinal Virtues and had weak spots along the legs. I'll draw its fire while you go for the assault."

As Hinata prepared to rush in, she suddenly remembered something from her training in Kagegakure and said, "Naruto-kun, I want you to know how sorry I am about this."

Before the blonde could reply, Hinata jabbed a nerve in his neck and knocked him out. She then bit down on her thumb to draw some blood before shouting, "**Ninpo: Kuchiyōse no jutsu.**"

From within the blast of smoke, Vergil appeared with his blade at the ready. "Vergil-san, Orochimaru has set a Cardinal Virtue on us and I can't face it alone."

The son of Sparda turned to Hinata and shook his head. "That is only a False Virtue. Still, even a copy can be a hassle. Yamato and I will try to make short work of this."

Kiri (sunset)…

As the sun faded from the sky in Kirigakure, the bats had taken to the sky in their usual outing. Nobody in the area paid the slightest attention as random bats split from the group and flew into the Mizukage's tower. To them, it was just an ordinary night.

Inside the office, Yagura looked out the window as he noticed that the rebels had begun to recede. He was preparing to call for a forward strike when he started hearing dull thuds in the hall.

Before he could send anyone to investigate the noise, a pair of Sais slid against his throat. A young voice from behind him said, "Yagura-dono, call off the feud and step down from the position of Mizukage. Your refusal might only result in your immediate death."

The Mizukage dissolved into a pulled of water before reappearing at his desk. "I don't know who you are, but you are either very brave or an idiot to challenge a Kage."

Cairo smirked as he appeared in a swirl of bats. "Yagura-dono, I am the Shodaime Yamikage and I challenge you to a duel. If I win, you will end this war."

Yagura simply removed his staff from the wall and said, "Well Yamikage-dono, you are a trespasser and all trespassers must be dealt with. **Suiton: Suiryūdan no jutsu!**"

As Cairo jumped out of the window to avoid the large dragon, he noticed the tomoe resting at the edges of Yagura's eyes. "_I was afraid of that,_" Cairo thought. "_Madara-teme really has him under his control. My job just got harder and I still have things to do._"

Suddenly, a smooth voice chimed out, "**Cairo-san, are you really worried about this damned turtle?**"

Cairo chuckled as he thought, "_You know that I'm not worried in the slightest, my friend. I just don't have time for this crap._"

The voice went silent for a moment before saying, "**Let me deal with him if you don't want to do it.**"

The Yamikage laughed in his head as he said, "_You must be insane to think that I'm gonna let you have control of my body again after the Kusa incident. I just finished paying the bill you left me with._"

The voice chuckled before saying, "**If you're so busy, why not have Guren-san take care of it? After all, she's proven to give you a run for your money when you use three tails.**"

Cairo smirked even harder as he made a cut in his palm. "_Yorubi, you are a genius. What flowers should I put on your grave when Guren kills you for this?_" 

The voice identified as Yorubi laughed as he said, "**Flowers are too cliché and overrated. Leave a bottle of Kagegakure Moonflower Sake in front of my headstone.**"

Cairo shook his head in humor before thinking, "_That was the entire problem!_"

Naruto (Inner world)…

Naruto snapped awake to find himself laid out in a white void. As he took in his surroundings, a cold and sharp voice said, "Get to your feet, Naruto Uzumaki."

The blonde quickly jumped to his feet and locked eyes with his brother. Before he could make a remark, Cairo slammed a fist into his jaw. "Look at you, Naruto. Hinata-san is fighting that beast to protect you while you're laid out like road kill."

Naruto growled and wiped the blood from his chin. "What the hell is wrong with you, bro? Hinata knocked me out and went off alone…"

"…and you didn't do a damned thing to try and stop her," finished Cairo with a snarl. "If you can't help her, you don't even deserve to be with her…"

"Shut up," whispered Naruto.

"…you _**don't**_ deserve to be a shinobi…"

"Shut up," Naruto said with more authority.

"…and you could _**never**_ become the Hokage!"

"I said _**shut up**_," shouted Naruto.

He quickly tried to elbow Cairo, but the Yamikage grabbed his arm and slammed him into the ground. Cairo then turned away from him and said, "Come to think of it, you couldn't even save _**me**_ when I needed you the most. I can't stand to so much as look at you and I _**hate**_ the fact that we share the same blood."

Naruto growled as he found himself in tears. Just when he thought that Cairo's betrayal couldn't run any deeper, the young Kage said, "In truth, you're no better than Sasuke Uchiha."

Without warning, Naruto summoned his katana from out of thin air and stabbed his brother in the heart. "How dare you accuse me of not trying to help her? I told her to run and I was fully prepared to die for her sake and safety if it came down to it!"

Cairo coughed out a glob of blood and said, "You talk a big game, but you are still lacking a sense of will. Do you love that girl as much as you say you do? Are you truly prepared to lay your life down for her? Could you do that for all of Konoha, our parents, or even me?"

Naruto pulled the blade from Cairo's chest and said, "Are you trying to say that I'm not strong enough to defend what I care about?"

"I'm asking if you have the will to truly become a sacrifice when something you cherish is in danger!"

"Of course I do! I'll use every ounce of my power to protect my loved ones," shouted Naruto.

"If you have the energy to argue and stab me, you can fight Sapentia and walk away from the battle alive. Now, get out there and show that thing why the Uzumaki clan is not to be trifled with!"

Suddenly, Naruto's blade was covered in Umbran seals and began to emanate a cobalt blue yōkai. Cairo placed his hand over Naruto's and said, "This blade was forged from the same metal as your guns and contains the soul of a demon whose power grows when you cut down Lumen angels. If you combine the blade's power with your own will, even Jubileus would fall if she crossed your path."

As Naruto observed the blade, he saw that it was made of a black metal with two glowing blue veins stretching along the length of the blade. "Does it have a name?"

The Yamikage only shook his head as he began to fade away. "That," Cairo said, "is for you to decide. Just know that to know the name of a blade will truly make it yours."

Just before fully vanishing, Cairo turned away from Naruto and said, "The real Cairo put me here to help you find your resolve. As I look at you now, I know that he would truly be proud of you."

Naruto slowly ran his hand along the blade and felt it pulsating as if waiting for something. He then twirled the blade overhead and said, "From now on, your name will forever be…"

Real world…

Vergil had just taken out Sapentia's second wing when Hinata said, "Vergil-san, his horns and the mask over his mouth are both pulsing on the same frequency. I think you need to attack his horns to break the mask."

Before Vergil could respond, Sapentia turned his attention to Hinata. "**You are becoming a thorn in my side, child. I shall sacrifice your soul to Jubileus first.**"

Hinata prepared for an attack when a familiar voice said, "Try sacrificing this, instead!"

It was only thanks to her Suishōgan that Hinata managed to see Naruto appear on top of Sapentia's head. The Cardinal Virtue could only howl in anguish and pain as Naruto sliced through one of his massive horns.

Vergil turned to Hinata and said, "I didn't even see him move past us. Did he learn to use his father's **Hiraishin**?"

Hinata shook her head as she watched Naruto cut down the missiles that were launched at him. "I have no idea, Vergil-san. However, I do know that Naruto-kun will win."

From behind her, a strained voice said, "Yes…Naruto-taichō will indeed…emerge in victory."

The duo turned around to see the rest of the retrieval team and the Suna trio running up to them. Hinata looked at Neji's bandages and Chōji's chakra levels before saying, "Ino-san did a good job with stabilizing you both. As of now, the only thing we can do is wait and put our faith in Naruto-kun."

While the group watched on in silence, Sapentia called out a laser tentacle and said, "**Your friends will be waiting for you in the afterlife, boy. Until then, you might as well tell them goodbye!**"

As the laser charged to maximum power, Naruto remembered what the false Cairo told him. "_When your blade's power syncs with your will, even Jubileus can fall._"

Naruto used his own chakra as well as some of Kurama's yōkai to harmonize with the blade. "_I cannot lose this battle. There is too much at stake. Share your energy with mine and help me strike down this menace…Koritsu!_"

As the laser fired at its intended targets, Naruto appeared in front of the group and drew a demonic circle in the air. When the circle was complete, he slashed Koritsu through the seal and fired off a dark blue beam of energy that broke through Sapentia's laser and tore through his entire body.

Without warning, an Umbran seal appeared below Sapentia and began to drag him down. His final words to Naruto were, "**May the creator, Jubileus, bless you.**"

Naruto huffed as he sheathed Koritsu. He then turned back to the group and said, "Let's get back to the village for a little R&R."

Kiri…

Cairo dodged a rather large ball of water before slamming his hand into the wall. **Ninpo: Kuchiyōse no jutsu!**"

In a blast of smoke, Guren appeared with a crystal arm blade ready to strike. Cairo kicked Yagura out of a window and said, "Guren, this is an S-Ranked mission. Chase after Yagura-dono and subdue him. I want him alive when the dust settles."

Guren nodded before following the Mizukage out of the window and down the street. Cairo quickly flashed to the rebels' main base and said, "Mei-taichō, Yagura-dono has been led away from the village. It's time to launch the counterstrike."

Mei nodded as Cairo flashed her away from their hiding area. When they reappeared, Mei looked at the entire rebellion and said, "Yagura-sama is gone and his personal squadron has been disposed of. When the gates open, we will take back our village!"

As war cries and cheers filled the skies, Cairo summoned three clones and had them all aim a **rasengan** at the gates. When the large gats fell, Mei turned to the rebel army and shouted, "Charge!"

The Kagegakure Anbu all joined Cairo's side as he stormed the village alongside Mei. Without any hesitation, Choujiro charged the Hiramekarei and formed an elongated blade that tore twelve Kiri-nin in half.

This action would officially mark the beginning of what would come to be forever known as the Battle in the Bloody Mist.


	26. 24: Closing the Curtain

A Brother's Return

Ch. 24

Speaking: normal

Thoughts, flashbacks, com-link, and notes: _italicized_

Jutsus, summons, Witch language, demons: **bold**

Summons's and demon's thoughts, ect…: _**bold italicized**_

(): author speaking

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Asuma and Kurenai would've realized by now that their secret relationship isn't really much of a secret.

Naruto groaned as he struggled against his bindings. When the group returned to Konoha, Tsunade instantly dragged Naruto to the hospital and had him tied down to the bed so that he wouldn't be able to escape. Still, that didn't stop him from trying.

The blonde was seconds away from falling asleep when Cairo entered his room. Cairo cautiously looked to make sure the hall was empty before using a kunai to sever the straps that held Naruto to the bed. "You've got about ten minutes before someone realizes you're not here and calls Tsunade. Hinata-san is waiting for you at Ichiraku's place."

Naruto gave his brother a quick hug before saying, "You are the best big brother I could ever ask for. Look out Hina-chan, here I come."

As soon as Naruto was gone, Cairo held up a single handsign and was covered in smoke. When the smoke was gone, it revealed Minato using a **henge no jutsu**. The Yondaime quickly jumped out the window before vanishing via **Hiraishin**.

Meanwhile…

Cairo and Mei stood back to back as they were surrounded by Yagura's forces. "Mei-taichō, what's your take on the situation?"

Mei smiled before saying, "Well, there are two of us and about fifty of them. They're at a serious disadvantage."

Cairo whipped out his katana before asking, "Have you ever used a sword before?"

Mei scoffed in amusement. "This is Kirigakure no Sato. If I haven't used a sword before, something just isn't right. After all, I was going to replace Ameyuri Ringo as a member of the Seven Swordsmen."

The Yamikage smirked as he stabbed a Kiri-nin between the eyes. "So, the rumors about you are holding some truth after all. Tell me; is it true that you have both the **lava** and **boil release** bloodlines?"

Mei nodded as she snapped a man's neck. "Yes, I wield two kekkei genkai. Is it true that you have the **Shōton** kekkei genkai?"

Cairo smiled as he cut another shinobi's arm off. "I don't normally tell my secrets with an audience like this, but I'll say it since you're the only one who'll ever live to tell the tale. It's true that I have mastered the **Shōton**."

Suddenly Cairo dodged a kunai and said, "Mei-taichō, don't move an inch from that spot. I'm going to finish these idiots so we can move on."

The rebel leader watched as Cairo jumped in the air and shouted, "**Kesshō: Rokkaku shuriken: Ranbu!**"

Mei watched in awe as Cairo was surrounded by a dual spiral of crystal blades that began shooting at the Kiri-nin. When the Yamikage landed, Mei noticed that she had been left uninjured while the group of shinobi was all dead.

Cairo quickly landed and dusted himself off before saying, "I'm going to help Guren finish Yagura. We should be back within the hour."

Mei nodded as Cairo placed a **Hiraishin** seal on her arm and vanished without a trace. When he arrived at Guren's location, he was forced to dodge the tail of a fully emerged Sanbi.

Cairo flew over to where Guren had built a crystal barrier and said, "Please tell me that you've had some luck dealing with Yagura."

Guren chucked a large crystal shuriken at the turtle before saying, "Cairo-sensei, what in that adolescent mind of yours actually qualifies me to take on a fucking biju?"

Cairo chuckled as he sent out his own barrage of crystals. "Don't look at me like that, Guren. Yorubi made the suggestion that I call you out for this."

The two quickly dodged another tail swipe before Cairo said, "Stall it for me while I get myself ready to trap it."

Guren nodded before making a ring of crystal blades and jumping inside of the ring to skate across the water. As she willed the shuriken to attack the turtle, Cairo finished his handsigns before slamming them onto the water's surface. "**Shōton: Suishō kangoku.**"

A coagulation of ruby-colored crystals encased the Sanbi until only the head was left untouched. Cairo flew up to its eye level and stared at it with his Rinnegan. Within seconds, the blonde found himself in a large white room where Yagura was currently tied to a chair with black chains.

Cairo walked up to the bound Yagura and said, "So, this is the best that the Yondaime Mizukage can do. Yagura, I was informed that you were a perfect jinchūriki. It seems as though you're nothing more than a child who got in too deep."

Yagura looked up in annoyance and scoffed. "I'll have you know that I'm over twenty years of age…"

"…and I personally don't give a fuck," Cairo finished. "I've killed men and women older and stronger than you at the age of ten while you were running around being possessed by a nutcase. In retrospect, this never would've happened if you had accepted Isobu's help instead of turning him away."

Yagura sneered. "How can that demon be of any help to me? It's done nothing but make my life a living hell."

Cairo rolled his eyes before backhanding Yagura hard enough to knock the chair over. "Do you honestly hear yourself when you talk? You're no better than the people who persecuted you for being a jinchūriki or the man who did this to you. Isobu has been doing everything possible to help you, but all you've done is steal his chakra and make a mockery of his kindness."

The Yamikage pulled Yagura back into a sitting position before saying, "Y'know, Mei-taichō told me that you were a kind soul before you became Mizukage. However, all I've seen is a monster in a man's body. By using Isobu the way you are, you've become the very thing the villagers have called you. You've become a demon."

Yagura's eyes widened as the tormenting shouts and accusations flooded his mind. "No," he whispered in desperation. "It's not possible. I can't be a monster."

Cairo gave Yagura another slap to the face before saying, "Trying to deny the crimes you've committed will not make then wash away. You need to get it together and atone for the disaster you've wrought on these innocent souls."

The Mizukage's eyes slowly filled with tears as he came to realize that he had basically destroyed the very village he swore to protect. "What have I done," he whispered in shame.

Konoha…

Naruto was on his eighth bowl of shrimp ramen when he heard a shout of, "Naruto Uzumaki, you had better hope I don't find you!"

The blonde gulped before kissing Hinata o the cheek. "We'll have to continue this later, hime. Baa-chan doesn't sound too happy that I left the hospital early."

Just as Naruto jumped onto the roof and sped off, Tsunade landed in the middle of the street and entered the stand. She grabbed Hinata's shoulder before giving off a smile that was too innocent to be genuine. "Hinata-chan, which way did that boyfriend of yours get to?"

Hinata smirked before saying, "I'm sorry Tsunade-sama, but Naruto-kun used a flash bomb to cover his escape. However, I think he said something about an extreme training session with Gai-sensei."

Tsunade inwardly growled. "_That idiot's gonna strain himself with training before he's even fully healed. I'll just have to put a stop to that._"

However, she was brought out of her rage and into a new one when Jiraiya appeared. "Tsunade-hime, the elders have called for a council meeting with the civilians. We had better round up the shinobi half and get there before something happens."

Tsunade turned to Hinata before saying, "Go and inform your father that there is an emergency meeting being held."

Hinata nodded before placing some money on the counter and vanishing in a swirl of water. The Godaime gave her attention back to Jiraiya and said, "I need you to grab Sarutobi-sensei and dig up an old relic. We're going to put that council back in its place and we're gonna do it right."

Thirty minutes later…

As the civilian council finally gathered, Danzo took the seat that was reserved for the Hokage. "I have called you all to support a very serious matter. It is time we finally deal with the demon child once and for all."

The civilians broke out into cheers when Sakura's mother said, "Let's just kill the thing and be done with it. After all, he failed to return Uchiha-sama as well as forcing my daughter to run away."

There were multiple cheers among the crowd which led to Koharu saying, "As much as I'd like to see the thing killed, we have to remember that his demonic influence has already poisoned the minds of many higher ups. Therefore, I propose that…"

Before her sentence could end, the entire room was flooded with a heavy dose ok KI. Everyone gasped in fear as Tsunade destroyed the doors to the room and strolled in wearing the ceremonial Kage robes and hat. Flanking her left was Jiraiya in his old Sannin armor and on her right was Hiruzen in his battle armor.

The Godaime instantly moved over to her seat before grabbing Danzo by the throat and tossing him to the floor. She then watched as the shinobi council filed into the room before saying, "Since you have decided to call a meeting about Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, we will have a meeting about Naruto and Sasuke. Now, I motion that Naruto's request to have Sasuke killed on sight be placed in the Bingo Books. Who will agree with this?"

There was no surprise when Kushina raised her hand first. Soon after, every other hand on the shinobi council and Dustin's from the civilian side was lifted in agreement. Tsunade smirked before saying, "As of now, Sasuke will be listed as a criminal with a 'Kill on Sight' order on his head."

Sakura's mother stood up in protest and shouted, "You can't do that! It's the demon that should be killed!"

Kushina brandished Muramasa and pointed it at the pinkette. "This is your last warning, you flat-chested bitch. Call my son a demon again and I'll gut you."

Saiyuri's anger grew as she shouted, "How dare you threaten me, you worthless tramp!? Everyone knows that you're nothing but some cheap whore that got tossed out on her…"

Everyone watched in shock as the woman was slammed into the floor and a foot landed on her neck. However, the surprising factor was that it had been Naruto who performed the deed. The blonde increased pressure on the woman's neck before saying, "You will _**never**_ speak ill of my mother again. When you die, know that your bitch of a daughter will soon share your fate."

Before anyone could move, a loud cracking sound echoed through the room. It didn't take a scientist to realize that Saiyuri Haruno had just been killed. Naruto turned his eyes to Koharu and said, "It was because of you and this bitch that I could never be adopted. You both did everything you could to isolate me from the world."

Naruto made to attack the woman, but Tsume beat him to the punch and jabbed a clawed hand through the woman's heart. As the woman's life began to fade, Naruto proudly said, "Moegi-chan will soon know of your transgressions. The same can be said of Udon about Homura-teme."

Naruto quickly looked at Homura and said, "Not only did you influence the merchants to not sell to me, it was also you who informed the village of my status as a jinchūriki."

A random civilian gasped as Homura's throat was torn open with a kunai. Homura looked into the eyes of his killer and choked out, "W-why would you do this to me, Hiruzen?"

Sarutobi stabbed the man in the heart before sneering. "I put my trust in you and you betrayed both me and Naruto-kun. You are nothing but a traitor and you deserve to die."

Danzo cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. "Boy, how is it possible that you even know about this? It shouldn't have been possible to discover this information."

In response, Naruto pulled out a small black book. "Your friends are sloppy when it comes to hiding secrets. I would've expected the former students of the Nidaime Hokage to be smarter than that. However, I'd look at ero-Sennin if you want to point fingers."

Jiraiya was actually left without a clue at the moment. "Gaki, how in the Makai am I involved in this?"

Naruto tossed Tsunade the book and said, "Tsunade was looking for me when you found her at Ichiraku's. She didn't realize that I had used a **Shunshin no jutsu** to hide behind the counter just before arriving. When you came along, I heard what you said, decided to go snooping, and found Koharu's journal filled with all of your dirty deeds and dark secrets. It seems as though everyone on the civilian council save for Dustin Higurashi had a hand in ruining my life."

One rather portly civilian had finally had enough and shouted, "It doesn't matter what we did, you little bastard child! I'll have you killed before the day is…"

"You won't lay a hand on him! **Jyūhō: Sōshiken**," shouted an enraged Hinata.

Before anyone could register how the kunoichi had even made it into the room, Hinata struck the man in the chest and destroyed his heart in a single blow. She then turned to Tsunade and said, "Please forgive my intrusion, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade nodded before saying, "I have spoken with Jiraiya and he will be taking Naruto with him on a special training trip."

Another civilian shouted, "We refuse to let that hell spawn get any stronger! Anbu, kill the demon and arrest the Hokage for unlawful acts against the council!"

Kushina, who had been waiting for someone to slip up and insult her son, rushed at the man and eviscerated him within the entire span of two seconds. She slowly twisted the blade before violently ripping it out of the man's stomach and stabbing him in the head.

As the blood sprayed across her face, the shinobi council was instantly reminded that Kushina was registered as the most dangerous and sadistic kunoichi of Konoha. In fact, there was a rumor floating around that Anko modeled her attitude around Kushina's sadistic personality.

Tsunade quickly brought attention back on herself and said, "Naruto and Jiraiya will be gone for a total of three years. At the end of that mark, the duo will return to Konoha and resume taking missions. This meeting has now been adjourned."

While the council filed out of the room, Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand. "Hinata-chan, promise me that you will be safe while I'm gone. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

Hinata gently kissed him on the lips before saying, "Come back to me alive, Naruto-kun. That's all I'm asking."

Kirigakure…

As Mei and the rebels routed the last of Yagura's troops, Choujiro looked off into the distance and said, "Mei-sama, someone's coming this way."

The rebel leader prepared to resume the offensive but relaxed at the sight of Cairo and Guren leading Yagura in their direction. The key factor was that Yagura's hands had been bound.

Mei ran to meet the group and said, "Yamikage-sama, the rebels have taken Kirigakure. What shall we do about Yagura?"

Instead of Cairo answering, Yagura found his voice and said, "Mei-chan, I'm stepping down as Mizukage. I would ask that you take my place and undo the damage that I have caused."

Cairo smiled as he undid the bindings on Yagura's hands. "Now that you're no longer under Madara's control, we'll need to hide you in case he comes looking for you. This is what we'll do…"

Three hours later…

Tobi had felt his control over Yagura shatter and decided to investigate. When he arrived in Kirigakure, he was greeted to the sight of Yagura's battered and scarred corpse fixed to a cross in the center of the town. "_Damn,_" he thought in silence, "_that's going to be a setback in my plan. No matter, I will reacquire the Sanbi soon enough._"

Once the masked man warped away, the corpse on the cross exploded into a small pool of blood. Within the Mizukage tower, Cairo turned to Mei and said, "Yagura and I are leaving, Mei-dono. I'll be going underground for a while and won't resurface until a later time."

After the Kages shook hands, Mei turned to Yagura and said, "Stay safe out there, Yagura-sama. We don't need to lose you after just getting you back."

Yagura shook the woman's hand before smiling. "You don't have to worry about that, Mizukage-sama. When I make my return, we'll show the Akatsuki what happens when you mess with the Mist."

Amegakure…

The members of the Akatsuki were all together on the hands of the Gedo Mazo. Pein turned to his followers and said, "The eyes of the Gedo statue have closed and won't reopen for three years. During that time, we shall gather funds for the organization and monitor the jinchūriki. Zetsu, do you have any news for us?"

The human plant looked around and said, "It seems as though the Kyūbi jinchūriki **has vanished from Konoha and the Sanbi jinchūriki** has been killed by the rebel forces."

Pein nodded and said, "We shall deal with the Sanbi when it reforms. For now, keep track of the others and try to locate the Kyūbi. We shall meet again in three years' time."

As soon as Tobi, Zetsu, Hidan, and Kakuzu were gone, Pein quickly said, "Kisame, remain in Kirigakure and help rebuild. Itachi, stick close to Cairo and make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble."

The duo nodded before their images faded away. Pein focused his attention on Sasori and said, "I need you and Deidara to root out some of Orochimaru's hiding places. For each one you find, try and cause a little trouble for him. Konan, I want you to start leaving a small trail for Jiraiya-sensei to follow."

Konoha…

Naruto and Jiraiya met up at the gates, only to find a third member joining them. Minato had cut them off before saying, "Naruto, your mother and I don't have much time left in this world. However, we have more than enough time to teach you the things we have wanted to teach you."

Naruto wiped a few stray tears away before saying, "Well, let's make the most of our time together. After all, chances like this don't come very often."

Minato nodded before pulling out one of his infamous kunai. "Once your training is done with me, your mother will join us so that she can train you. During these three years, every moment of your training will be designed to kill you. It is how your mother trained herself, how I trained with her, and how we will train you. I was right to trust you with the fox and I will trust you to overcome this training."

Jiraiya turned to the setting sun and smiled. "Naruto-gaki, you'll be training with me whenever those two aren't trying to kill you. Then again, I'll also be aiming to kill you. Still, I also have faith that you will come out of this even stronger than before. Now, let's get moving out to our first location."

Gates of Hell…

Rodin watched as a blood-spattered Bayonetta walked up to the bar. "Those morons are getting rather excited now," she said. "I wonder if it has anything to do with their little plan."

The barkeep lifted a bottle and said, "We've got little more than three years, Bayonetta. It's time to get our asses in gear and get ready for an all-out assault. This time, things are gonna get a lot worse than before."

Kagegakure…

Cairo looked out to the setting sun over his village. He then motioned for someone to join him and said, "Jade, I'm leaving the village for three years. While I'm gone, have the Yoru squad follow the instructions I left in the scroll on my desk. I know that the village will be in good hands while I'm gone."

Cheshire approached her leader before removing her mask. "Should I initiate the wartime training protocol while you're away, Yamikage-sama?"

Cairo nodded as he removed the ceremonial robes and hat. "There is a storm coming, Jade. We need to be ready for anything when it arrives. We've all taken a heavy gamble and can't afford to lose."

As the moon began to lift itself into the sky, Cheshire watched as her leader pulled a small scroll from his sleeve. Cairo gave her the scroll and said, "Take this to Tsunade and tell her it's from me. I doubt she'll have any reason not to agree."

Jade stowed the scroll away and said, "I'll see you in three years, boss. Try not to have too much fun without us."

Cairo smirked as he began to sink into his own shadow. "I could say the same thing to you, Cheshire. I could say the same thing."

Once Cairo was gone, Jade turned back to the office and said, "Yagura-san, I will have someone show you to your home. Welcome to Kagegakure no Sato."

Yagura gave a small smile as an Anbu escorted him out of the office. Somehow, he could tell that everything would be alright.

Unknown location…

Cairo appeared in a yellow flash in front of what looked to be an abandoned shack. He quickly walked in and activated a security seal before saying, "I'm here, ero-Sennin. Let's get going."

Jiraiya, Minato, and Naruto all deactivated their camouflage techniques and stepped away from the walls. Jiraiya made a few handsigns and shouted, "**Ninpo: Gyaku Kuchiyōse no jutsu!**"

In a burst of smoke, the four ninjas found themselves on a large mountain. Jiraiya turned to the others and said, "Welcome to Mt. Myobokuzan. This will be your home for the next three years. Now, get to bed while you still can. Tomorrow, you will begin training."

As the four went off to find shelter, they all wondered what the next three years would entail.


End file.
